Desperation
by cbs2cbw
Summary: Update: Going through total revision. Chapter 1-5 revised the others will follow! A terrible tragedy happens to Akane, and she disappears. Will Ranma be able to find her? Will it be a happy ending? *Complete!* as far as I know .
1. Updated! Loves choice Rated M

Desperation

Part one

Ties Broken and made

Prologue + Chapter one: Loves choice

Ranma ½ Fanfiction

By Ranko-chan

Udated: August 2010

I wrote this story while still in High school. I always hated this chapter, and it never flowed the way I wanted it to back then. Pluss it was always super disturbing.

I decided that I wanted to go through and change the story a bit, and update it hopefully fix some grammar. Not that I am any better now than I was. But I would like to think that some college English and the writing of MANY, MANY papers has made me so what of a better writer.

The grammar though, is still horrid. I apologize in advance.

At least now, The Kuno's are not as bad as they were before, well you know if you are rereading it.

Disclaimer: Takahashi-sama is the owner of Ranma half and we are merely borrowing them. This work is not being done for a profit or anything of that nature, the only profit the authors hope to gain is the enjoyment of the readers.

***Warning *Graphic content warning . . . Guys don't hate me for this chapter****

Prologue

"What a haul! What a haul!"

At least, that was what Happosai ran from roof to roof top in the quiet dark of night. He paused at a wall, and peaked around the corner. There on the window sill of the house behind the wall was a line of underwear left out to dry. They seemed to be expensive looking numbers. So naturally, without a second thought, he adjusted his already full bag and claimed the prize. Happosai soon bounced off to other roofs in search of more lingerie.

Not so much later that night, Sasuke was walking down the street. He is walking for two reasons for walking that late. First, because of his little "wetting the bed problem", he didn't want to be ridiculed by Kodachi tomorrow. Secondly, tomorrow was Kodachi's birthday, and he didn't have anything for her. Then all of a sudden, he sees a strange box sitting in the middle of the side walk. Sasuke immediately picks it up and studies it. It turned out to be a medium size wooden box with strange Chinese writing on it, and in the inside, there was an expensive-looking bottle of perfume. "I hope that mistress Kodachi likes this." 'The mistress will certainly like this for a gift.' He took the gift, and headed towards home.

The party was planned by Kodachi herself. She didn't trust anyone else to plan such a special thing. It was a simple party, only inviting a few of friends from St Hibetike High School. She had arranged for a dinner for them. She also put up a screen and projector so that they could all watch movies. She had told her brother to wait till after the party to give her the gift that he bought her. She was not surprised, when after the party she had more than one gift to open. One present was from Sasuke. She opened Sasuke's present first. She began to un-wrap the gift carefully. It was a skillfully made wooden box, and it had strange Chinese characters on it. Inside the box was a bottle perfume in a scarlet bottle carefully wrapped in black velvet. In all the years that she had ever known the little ninja, she had never known him to have any clue about what woman wanted. She was curious on how it smelled, so she carried the perfume to the nearest bathroom to try it out.

She intended that night to go out tonight to seduce Ranma. She was fantasizing about how manly Ranma was. She wanted this night to be special, so she wanted to smell exquisite. Just a small sniff of the perfume and she knew that the smell alone would drive any man mad. It smelled like the spring flowers in a fresh field after a shower. The room was filled with it. It was the most beautiful thing that she had ever smelt. She knew that Ranma would also like the smell of it. She sprayed a single spray on her neck.

As soon as she put it on, she felt hot, sweaty even. The warm feeling was caressing through her veins. 'Oh Ranma my love!' She thought. Soon the thought of Ranma had almost vanished as she was filled with passion, more so than she had ever felt before.

"Where the heck is it?"

Happosai was in a state of panic. His room looked like a hurricane had gone through it. There was lingerie covering everything. Happosai was frantically looking for something. Finally, Happosai sat down with pipe in the middle of the panty-littered room. 'Where could it be? I know that I had it in my pocket on my panty raid last night. How do just loose something of such great importance?' Happosai tried to think of what happened last night, but all he could remember was the thrill of the raid. 'That was one of my more potent love potions too. I acquired it when I was eighteen in China someplace. I'm not sure how it works, but apparently as long as the person has any lust in them it would work. The perfume bottle had always worked well for me. I would just give it as a present; I would urge the lucky girl to try it on. The lust in the wearer becomes unbearable, their strangest desires as well as their lusts become most manifest and I would always be there to fulfill those desires. I wanted to spray some on Akane or 'Ranma honey'. They would have fallen right into my arms. ' ::sigh:: 'It's been so faithful through the years too, and potent too. It worked that one night with Kohn Lon when they were nineteen." Happy smiled to himself. He loved reminiscing over all of the pretty ladies he had been in love with over the three hundred years of his life. "Stupid love potions, disappearing into thin air."

His sister had spent hours in that bathroom. He needed to get ready. Tonight he had to meet Akane. He was going to ask her to date him, and he knew that there was something special about tonight, and that this time that she was going to accept his proposal. It was the moon, bright and full in the sky, he told himself. He heard the bathroom door open, and he ran into it. He intended to look at his very best. He brushed his teeth, and washed his face. He shaved, and brushed his hair, and gelled it to perfection. He then noted that he had forgotten his tie. He went back to his room noting that he had spent nearly an hour and a half in the bathroom. He rushed into his room to grab the bouquet of roses that he had bought earlier that day, and the blue waist tie that matched the new hakama robe that he had just purchased. He went one last time into the bathroom, just to check himself over, and to make sure that he hadn't missed anything. He saw a bottle just sitting there. He had not noticed it before. It looked like an expensive bottle of cologne. He took a whiff of it. He had never smelt something as exquisite. 'No girl could resist me with this stuff on.' He sprayed a single spray on his neck. 'No! I am late!' He thought 'I forgot the bouquet in my room. I have to get it.' Upon entering his room, he immediately knew that something wasn't right. But as he looked around, and saw what that was, all thoughts perished, and nothing but the strong pull that drew him to his bed, to her, and the love that was beating inside of his veins. The magical spell had taken him away, the potion playing its role, devastating all that is clean, creating love, yet destroying its victims' very soul.

End Prologue

Author Note Yes if you didn't get all of that, e-mail me. Ranma_

Chapter One

Nabiki loved the summer. Summer was the time of year that she made most of her money. Collecting fees during non-school hours was unexpected by borrowers and with the extra interest of having to go to their houses and the threat of charging double interest if they didn't pay her then, she made a handsome sum. In addition a lot of the time the parents would be watching as the sweat dropped from the face of their children as they scrambled to shoo her away, out of their sight, and ear shot. One of her borrowers however refused to pay, and being almost her brother- in-law she didn't enjoy charging him, for she found siding with his enemies much more enjoyable. Ranma happened to get a not so lenient Nabiki, who demanded at least half of her money, or she would tell Kuno that his beloved 'pig tailed goddess' was none other that the sorcerer Saotome himself. Ranma didn't really care however, for he had changed in front of the dumb Kendoist before and he couldn't get it through his thick skull that Ranma and the red-haired goddess were one in the same. He didn't think that Nabiki would be able to explain it to him. Besides why would he be afraid of Kuno, he could beat him with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back. So Nabiki took him up to her bargain, twisting it to her satisfaction along the way.

(Late evening) (Ranma has been forced to walk Akane to school at this late hour for a summer night class she had wanted to take. Their fathers had thought it a perfect opportunity for them to spend time alone, and, had even gone as far as calling it a date of sorts for the two of them. Ranma had tried to get out of it, but in the end here he was walking next to Akane in the dusk of evening.)

"Ranma take Shampoo on date yes!" Shampoo crashed landed on Ranma and instantly gave him the death grip of the Amazons, placing his head in her bosom, as she interlocked her hands around him.

(Muffled talk)

"Shampoo, could you let (BANG!CRACK!SLAM!PUNT!) ...gooooo!"

"RANMA-NO-BAKA! I hate you!"

"Why violent girl do that. Ranma no punching bag." But Akane was already running off into the sunset.

Kodachi felt like her whole body was on fire. She had been skipping roofs trying to find Ranma, to confess her love for him. Her passion was so great, she just couldn't contain it any longer.

It was at this moment that she ran directly into…

Akane ran.

She didn't care anymore where she was going. She had been enjoying the time that she was having with Ranma. Although she would never admit it, she really cared for him. She was jealous of the others. She thought of him walking her to school like, him spending time with her. He never really spent time with any of his other fiancés. She was happy to hear that he was forced to as well for she really wanted to walk with someone, and she really didn't want to ask him. Accept, whenever they are on a good track they are thrown into hell and it all is ruined and it was all Ranma's fault! He could never keep the hussy off of him, and he could never just avoid her. Ranma got on her nerves this time! He really got on her nerves. The stupid Chinese hussy she always ruined everything!

"Ahh...aaaghh..." Akane fell to the ground scraping her knee and falling hard on her wrist. She got the breath knocked out of her, and her voice went to nothing. As she looked up, she saw Kodachi towering over her. And she was scared. Then it all went black.

Running after Akane was a hard job even for people that seemed to never run out of energy...Ranma found it very difficult for instance and very tiring at times. Tonight happened to be one of those nights where he had to look for an Akane that ran off. It wasn't that these things happened just out of the blue, he was use to it, but it was just something that he couldn't deal with sometimes. Ranma found it strange that he couldn't find her, she never just up and disappeared just out of the blue like that, normally she would go someplace where she was easily located, so that he could find her and talk her into believing him. He had a bad feeling about this. Akane never just ran off.

Akane had passed out, she was out for several minutes. When she finally came to, she was naked on the ground, and Kotachi was naked on top of her. Covering her mouth with her hand. Akane was in shock, so much so that her body froze. Akane wanted to die. Kodachi, was going raping her? What sort of sick person was she. Oh god she wanted to die. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She was helpless! As Kodachi continued the rubbing herself against Akane, Akane's mind was spiriling downward. A deep horror was gripping her. She felt violted, dirty, unworthy, sick even. It was then when her body rippled, has Kodachi rubbed her, and her body felt the waves of orgasm. She couldn't bear to tell her family, to tell Ranma, to let Ranma know that she had let this happen to her, that she had allowed a woman to do this to her. And to make it worse, this was a woman that was committing the crime, it if was a man maybe she could at least imagine it was Ranma. She tried to think that she was somewhere else. She tried to make the dread go away to not think about what was happening around her, but it was no use. She could almost feel the breath of Kodachi. Her touch against her skin was like being cut open with a knife. As she felt Kodachi's hands squeeze of pull on her breasts, she screamed inside, but her body remained lifeless, like she was in a coma, unable to do wanted to pass out, but her brain wouldn't let her leave the agony. She tried to move, to break the thing that held her here. She arched her back until she couldn't arch it anymore. Kodachi collapsed on top of her, and it was at that point that Akane was able to come partly to her senses; she grabbed her cloths, and ran.

Tatawaki Kuno wondered around his mansion aimlessly. He had sprayed that wonderful cologne on, and now he was filled with such a need. If only one of his loves were there, to help him. He ran toward the Tendous desperate to find Akane or the Lovely Ranko.

In the distance he could see someone running toward him. It was Akane. As she came nearer, he saw that she was nearly naked.  
'Oh the goddess knows of my need. The Lovely Akane has come to her love at last she is free for Soatome's spells.' He thought. Akane was still not fully aware of her surroundting. She was not looking where she was going. She was still in shock. She did not see Kuno. She was not able to break free of his grip as he caught her in her run, and pulled her hard to the ground. Falling hard on her back, again, the wind knocked out of her chest, she could not scream as Kuno had already removed his belt, his erection evident.

She wanted to die. She knew that never again would she be ale to look at a person in the same aspect again. What Kodachi had done to her, changed her karma, put her whole essence off its balance. She knew that she would never again find that balance. She had thought that maybe she would find it once she and Ranma had settled their differences, but that time was no longer, Ranma was no longer, Akane was no longer. Nothing could be worse, than this night! But as the expression goes, never say never.

Kuno entered her. His mind was spinning. He had dreamed that this day would someday come, that he would prevail over the cur Saotome. Today was the day. Lost in his lusts for the girl in front of him, he moved in and out of her, grabbing at her body, his whole body weight on top of her. Grabbing at her breasts, and then holding her hands at her side as he sucked at her mouth, indulging inmself in her. He was so fixated on his task that he did not take notice of her struggles. He couldn't notice anything, not her screams inside of his mouth as he continued to kiss her or her hands and legs struggling to get him off of her. All he knew what the lust. He deepened his kiss forcing his tongue deep into her mouth and moved faster, her scratches only adding to his pleasure; he released his seed into her. The second that his lips left hers, she screamed. It did not register at first, but then the scream did not stop, and she just kept screaming. Gaining her strength, she pushed Kuno off of her.

He tried to grab her and take her back; he still didn't understand why she was screaming, had he hurt her. She grabbed at her cloths and covered herself. She was terrified. Kuno had just defiled her. Twice in one night, She had been used twice buy two that she truly hated. She wanted to kill Kuno but realized that she did not have the strength. So she decided to just do the only thing that she could do, she spoke for herself, not caring how they would be taken, for to her, her life was already over.

"Get away you bastard. You disgust me! Just leave me alone!"

Kuno tried to digest all of the words, what had he done. He had thought that this was a dream come true. But what had it become. He had walked into not a dream but a nightmare. Akane did not want him as he did her. He had force himself on her. He did not want to believe this reality. He would never do such a thing. But her words to him differently and his self consciousness could not tell him otherwise this time around. The road had come to a dead end and there was no outlet, and the road that he had come down, was a road that was one way. And then all he could think or fell was disgust for the lust had fleeted as fast as the orgasm. He hated himself at that moment.

There was nothing that he could do to repay her for what he had taken. He wanted to die.

"I am sorr...rr..yy... " The words never had a full ending, for before her could finish, his mouth was suddenly gushing blood swollen and red and purple, his jaw was killing him, and he could not feel the front of his face. He reached up to touch his lips, and looked at his red finger. It took a minute for what happened to register in his mind, but then he knew. Akane had hit him. She had really hit him. He felt that she should have stabbed his heart out, but that would be to end his pain and sorrow, and he wanted to feel this pain. It was the only way that his brain cold let his essence live with what it had done, to the only thing that mattered to him.

Akane ran she didn't care where she was going, all she knew is that she could not stay here, so she ran, and didn't care what direction that was, as long as she was no longer where Ranma was she didn't care where she was.

She wanted to die, but she knew that Ranma would kill himself, and some others if he knew what happened to her, and she wanted him to be happy, so she did what any lover of someone would do, she ran, so she would protect the one that she loved.

End

Editor's Note: I just found out that glomping is actually spelt glomming. Do you know how many fanfictions that have the word "glomping"? Now crazy grammer maniacs have another thing to be angry about.

Definition for glomming is as follows: to grab or seize or grab hold of something. (Present participle, of course, the word found in the dictionary is glom)

Definition for glomping is as follow: It doesn't have a definition because it isn't a word.


	2. UPDATED! Lost

Desperation

Part one

Ties Broken and made

Chapter two Lost

Ranma ½ Fanfiction

By Ranko-chan

Disclaimer: Takahashi-sama is the owner of Ranma half, and we are merely borrowing them. This work is not being done for a profit or anything of that nature, the only profit the authors hope to gain is the enjoyment of the readers.

Sometimes, when the body goes through a lot of trauma, your mind will just go into shock. When something horrible and so seemingly overbearing you become overwhelmed. You panic because of one traumatizing event and every mistake you do is stemmed from the one event. Also, the one horrifying event leads the person to be frightened. Those that are consumed by grief and sorrow are said to be, like the wise ones say, no better off then a helpless kitten left to starve in an alley way.

She wanted to die...

She felt like she had no reason at all to live. She feared for Ranma and her family, but mostly for Ranma. If he ever heard what happened.. no, he'll never find out. She hoped that he would never find out what happened to her. She knew he would destroy the Kunous and then some when he found out. He'll never find out. Please don't let my sisters find out. What will my dad do?

No, she was going to go off somewhere to die, and nobody would find out. She hoped that they would all eventually get on with their lives, thinking that she was happier somewhere else. Akane needed to go away, somewhere where nobody would find her. For she knew one thing: she didn't want ANYONE, especially Ranma, to suffer because of her.

She didn't want anyone to know where she was, and she just hoped that they all would remember her as the way that she was, and not as the weak doll she was now. She stopped running when she came to the outskirts of Nerima. Looking back, she knew what she had to do; she should end her life honorably. Yes, she thought I should commit seppuku right there and now.

No, she dismissed the thought. I will go somewhere will no one will find my body. That way Ranma can always have hope that I am alive. She wanted him to have a happy life, didn't she? If he thought that she was alive, he would always search for her.

What if he were to find her dead?

'NO! He cannot find me dead' she concluded. It was better for him to always hope, maybe eventually he will accept the fact that I am gone and he cannot find me, and maybe he will move on.

'Yes and then he will be happy' she thought. I just wish that I could have told him that I loved him, oh how much I wish it were possible.

So started Akane's journey, with love for Ramna and the life that she hoped he could have without her to dishonor him and her family. Running in the darkness not going anywhere in particular, all she knew is that she had to get away, and forever.

[Next Morning]

Ranma sat on the canal wall and watched the sunrise. He was extremely worried now. The sun was up, and he hadn't found Akane. He had gone home three times that night, to see if she had gone there. She had not. He had been there a little less than twenty minutes ago, and he knew that if she was coming back she would have been there already.

Akane never spent the night anywhere.

Akane was gone, and he had let her go, he had to find her. He stood and walked off into the sunrise. He would not return till he found her. She had to be SOMEWHERE. He would go to the ends of the earth to find her, and if that is what it was going to take, he would do it. Akane was his, and it was his job to protect her. He had to find her. His honor depended on it, and so did his life and love.

[Six months later]

The room was dark; torches were lit around the rink, as the two fighters circled each other. The one man had sweat dripping off of his face.

He was exhausted.

His opponent hadn't even broken a sweat.

Relentless, the skilled fighters battled. The one was going all out and the other, playing. The two fighters shared one characteristic however, the characteristic of determination.

They were both strong, but one was stronger than the other by far. The Chinese-clad boy only made it look like the other fighter had a chance, but he knew that there was nothing that could happen that would make the other man win. This match was like watching a mouse trying to defeat a cat. It was hopeless.

The man used his last strength in an all-out final attack. It was his last chance to beat the boy, and to not be humiliated in front of his own disciples. He had to win, and this was only a boy. He was a master of his Art, how could this puny child beat him? The man took in a deep breath.

The boy knew that the man in front of him was losing his strength. Soon, he would collapse from exhaustion. He knew, however, that the man would not give up without a fight. He did not know any final attacks for the school that this man was practicing. This could mean two things, he thought. It could mean that the attack would be spiritual, something that is not easily fought off, or it could mean that he is saving his strength to perform a complicated final physical attack that is easily defeated. The most likely was the physical attack. Most schools had no spiritual attack, but one could never know. Then the battle boiled down to the last moment...

[Same time frame, different place]

Akane stopped by a pond. Where was she? She knew that she was in China. It had taken her a long time to find a suitable ship, but she had found one. Needless to say that it was hard to sneak on, but she found a corner that was not watched regularly, and it was close enough to the food chambers that she could sneak some food when she got hungry.

She had slept most of the way there, only once getting up. She counted the days. The journey only took a few days. She didn't know exactly what port that they would land at but she knew that it would be a popular one. That was most likely somewhere near Hong Kong but she was not sure.

When she finally got off of the boat, she ran out of the city. She hated people. The city was too crowded, and she wanted to be out in the forest. Somewhere where there were no people. That was all she remembered, since she had gotten off of the boat she had wondered around aimlessly for months.. And now here she was..

Now, Akane was sitting by a small pond. You could hardly call it a pond, it looked more like a puddle, it was only a few inches deep, and a little bigger than the average pothole. If she hadn't collapsed there she would have found that there were actually many ponds, most of them deeper and bigger than the one that she was by. In fact, if she hadn't been so exhausted, she might have thought it would be weird how if she looked in the distance, that the ponds in the valley a few yards down had bamboo poles sticking out of them. But all she knew was that she was in a forest somewhere far away from Ranma, and she was ready to die.

[three months earlier]

"Mousse!"

*splash*

"Sorry, Mu Tzu, Shan Pu know that you no like be duck. But great- grandmother says that you no can come look for Ranma. She says that you should go home. So Shampoo sending Mouse back to village. Just hope that they know that it is Mu Tzu."

"Quack! Quack! Quack!"

Shampoo sealed the box with tape, rope, and chain. There was no way that Mouse was getting out this time.

[three months and a couple of days later]

" Mu Tzu lets walk to the pools today and pick some flowers, shall we?"

"Yes mother, whatever you want. I want to spend time with you before I have to go again."

"Ok, let's go."

Mother and son walked along the dirt path talking about trivial things, like the weather. Then the conversation roamed over more important matters, such as matters of love.

Mu Tzu's mother, Lali Tzu, knew how hard it was to find love in the Amazon way of life. She had married her husband for love. Even though she could not tell anyone this fact, she had lost out of love. She was the strongest of most of her sisters. She was only second to the woman that was the chosen matriarch of their tribe.

Her older sister, was chosen by and elder and knew much more than she, especially when it came to chi manipulation techniques. But in fair hand-to- hand combat she could defeat anyone. She was proud and happy. She never thought that she could disgrace herself into losing to a male, but she fell in love. She still didn't regret the decision that she had made, oh, so many years ago.

After all she had to marry, for she was pregnant with Mu Tzu. She thought that the elders would find out and she would be punished, and have to killed her baby at birth, have to go through the cleansing process, and have her lover killed, for it was always the man's fault. But she married her lover and had her baby at what she knew was full term but what other thought to be a month and a half early. He was a small child, and she thanked the gods for that.

Here was her son, now grown, having a similar problem to the one that she once had. She loved her son, and wished that she could help him to solve the problems that lurked in his heart.

As they approached the springs of Jusenkyou they heard a sound that was very uncommon to the area. It was the sound of someone weeping.

" Mu Tzu can you hear it?"

"Yes, I can I think it is coming from over there. It sounds like a woman, mother."

"You stay here; I will go and find out what the problem is!"

"Yes, mother."

Lali Tzu walked, with urgency, through the dense forest. What she saw there made her skin crawl.

" Mu Tzu, Come quick!"

End

Authors Note:

I didn't have to fix to much in this chapter. This one seemed to flow quite nicely. I have started to fix Mousse's name to the Romanization of Mu Tzu, but until I finish editing, it will be wrong in following chapters.


	3. Updaed! The Cleansing Process

Desperation

Part one Ties Broken and made

Chapter 3 The Cleansing Process

Ranma ½ Fanfiction

By Ranko-chan

Disclaimer: Takahashi-sama is the owner of Ranma half and we are merely borrowing them. This work is not being done for a profit or anything of that nature, the only profit the authors hope to gain is the enjoyment of the readers.

Author note: Ok all of the Amazon stuff is coming from the imagination of the author. I really have not a clue about Chinese culture, so I will try to let my mind imagine some stuff for you all K.

"Mu Tzu come quickly!" They were very close to Jesyenkyo, the place where Ranma had beaten Saffron. Most of the cursed springs were gone, the poles sticking of the ground amongst the mixed water around the main part of the springs was still there and there were still few scattered near the outskirts of Jesyenkyo itself closer to the woods. Mu Tzu ran as fast as he could. There was a girl lying next to a Jesyenkyo pool that was now filled with the girls blood. The red of the water made him move even faster, this girl need their help, she had lost a lot of blood. He took one of her wrists as soon as he got to her, and ripped a piece of his robe and tied it around the girl's upper wrist to stop the bleeding. He ripped another and did the same to her other hand. The blood still flowed he ripped two more and continued to stop the bleeding. He then picked her up and started to run with his mother back to the village, he knew that there they would help her. They helped all women.

Mu Tzu's mother ran beside Mu Tzu. She didn't notice it at first, but now that the girl was in the arms of her son, she could tell very well. But why, she didn't understand why any woman would want to die if they were carrying a child. But she pushed the thought back. First, they would think about the girl the child would have to come later. The villagers saw them running and were ready for them. The girl was taken by the elders. Mu Tzu thought that the girl looked familiar but he was not sure he did not get a chance to really look at her, and study her, he didn't even see her face, but there was something familiar about her.

The oldest elder looked at the girl and knew that she was a fighter, but it looked as if the girl had lost the will to live. She didn't know many things that would affect a girl in such a way, but she knew of one. And the swollen belly proved it. She whispered to the second elder, and she nodded.

The of course would help her. They would help her survive. The tribe though did not often obtain new blood. It was rare that girls came to the Amazon to become Amazon Warriors.

"Yes this one will be a good contribution, after the cleansing process, but we must first know her name."

"But only a member of the tribe can go through the process."

"Yes but if one of the members of the tribe would adopt her into their clan she could become a member."

"I will."

"You Lali Tzu, are you sure, you know nothing about her."

It was true she did not know anything about the girl. But she was a member of the tribe, and she knew that new blood was an important way to the Amazon tribe. She felt very sorry for this young girl, and even though she was a total strange was prepared to help her through the rough process ahead.

"I feel that there is something about her. I believe it is the will of Kami that I help her. After all, if I had not gone on that walk she would be dead. I feel a responsibility, and I do not have a daughter. I need an inheritor to my clan."

"Very well, but you do know then you will have to make the decisions for her, until she has been cleansed."

"Yes I am aware of that. She is very weak, when her strength returns I would like to see her memory, and I will decide what she will remember."

"Yes. When her strength returns, in the light of the moon we will have the ceremony."

"Yes great elder."

Lali Su walked out of the tent, and ran into Mu Tzu who was pacing at its entrance.

"Mother what is happening?"

"The girl is now your sister."

"What you took her? Why?"

" Mu Tzu, do you question me?"

"My apologies mother, but she is an outsider and you know nothing of her."

"It's not like you to judge people like that, haven't I taught you anything?"

"Again my apologies, I just worry for you, what if she is..."

"None of that. Come look at her, you will see."

"Kay."

They walked to the healing tent. Mouse put on his glasses. The girl had been cleaned up. Her cuts were tightly bandaged, stitched it seemed. Her color was already returning. She had been changed into robe of thin white linen. He quickly noticed one of the reasons why his mother felt pity for the girl, maybe one of many reasons. The girl was pregnant, and pretty far along as far as he could tell. The girl was also very young she looked to be his age maybe younger. She was Japanese by the looks of her face, and she had medium length black hair.

'Wait.' . . . I know her . . . a girl that is Japanese, which has black hair that has been missing for six months . . . Akane.' He couldn't believe that he had not realized it was her.

"Akane!"

'How could this be? Why is she here? What happened to her?' His mind continued to race. The fact that she was with child made him even more uneasy and in complete shock over the situation.

"Excuse me Mu Tzu?"

"Mother this girl, I know her."

'Ranma doesn't know about this. He would never expect her to come here. He would never think that she would leave, and for a reason such as this.' There was no way to express Mu Tzu emotions.

"How?"

"She lives in Japan, she rivals Shan Pu for her Fiancee. Her name is Akane. She disappeared six months ago. Ranma left to find her. Telling no one. Shan Pu and Kohn Lon went to search for him, that is why they sent me here, so I would not be in there way."

"You know her. Do you know of anything about this?"

She pointed to her stomach.

'I wish I had, everything wouldn't be so complicated. Then again maybe it still would be. I do believe that this is not Ranma's doing, if it was, then Akane would not have tried to kill herself.'

"No. But I know that Ranma would never do anything like this, and if he had, she would have not run. I think that Ranma and Akane love each other and are just too afraid to tell the other of their feelings."

"The past is the past, now she is your sister. The tribe has taken her in; we will now decide her future."

'Akane an Amazon? That thought never came to mind.'

Lali Tzu knew that the elders welcomed any female into the tribe, as long as they were adopted into one of the thirteen clans. She also knew that the other elders had seen potential in this Akane, but with what seemed very extremely tense circumstance, and the child that the girl was carrying, very few in the tribe would be willing to take on such responsibility. This girl would be an asset to the tribe, and she had no daughters to inherit the clan name. This one not only had potential but with the right training, would be a benefit, and something worth taking risks for.

The ceremony was at hand. It was a burden. She couldn't think of any memory in her life that she would wish to would take place very soon, if not tonight. Now she was going to have to decide what this girl would remember. Such a burden was a heavy one to bear. Of the many things that the Amazon women could do, memory changing and manipulating was such a delicate thing to deal with. She was going to take away from this child something she herself would not want to lose, but at the same time, maybe these memories were best left forgotten. It was a scary thought. Decisions are not made easily. She walked with great anxiety to the tent in which the ceremony was to take place.

The tent was closed and everyone knew that they should stay out. Even the children's curiosity was sated as they saw the elders enter, and saw their stern faces. When you looked at the tent, you could see the omnipotence that emanated from it. Only the elders of the tribe were allowed within the tent. The elders had already prepared the girl in the proper clothing, the Robe of the past.

They had lit incense all in the enclosure. They were sitting in a closed circle, Akane on the floor in the middle and Lali Tzu sitting on the left of the girl. The elders started to chant a few words and then images started to appear above the girls head.

The process was long . . . important events all along the girls life would appear for all to see.

The first were childhood images. A woman was shown, she looked very sickly, and then a Japanese funeral. Then there were pictures of two older girls, probably siblings they thought. Then of a man. Her father, then a horde of boys and battles. A dojo. Then a young man. That seemed to come up many times. In every picture that followed his arrival. Then of a girl that was doing things to Akane. Then of a Man that had done one of the most disrespectful things that he could do the women. Much sadness and hatred came after these. Then more of the boy from the beginning.

They spent hours watching the happy events of the girl's life and then the sad. They then sat in silence, taking it all in, and meditating on the events. Then the lead elder asked Lali Tzu.

"Lali Tzu this is your child, she must go through the cleansing process. Her memory will have to be taken, for her past was turbulent. She will remember only what you want here too. Also as for the child what is it that you choose to do with it?"

'It is so hard. Taking them all away. I am so sorry.'

"I choose for her to remember nothing. Her child will become mine when it is borne. I do not want her to remember any from her past, for if she does, then it all will return to her."

"Wise. But should we keep her asleep for the period before the child of should we erase her memory again?"

"Keep her asleep."

"What do you name the child?"

"Mais Tzu."

End

Author notes: Well what did you expect you should have known? So Akane is now Mais Tzu, Mouses sister. What about the cleansing process? You will just have to read on.


	4. Life anew

Ranma ½ Fan fiction  
  
Desperation  
  
Part one Ties Broken and made  
  
Chapter Four Life anew  
  
The fight had ended. The disciples looked on in sorrow. Their master had lost. A part of their pride was lost as well. They had questions running through their head as to how, and why this boy beat their master. The master of the dojo rolled over. Ranma lent him his hand.  
  
"Sensai, I am sorry that I had to beat you, in front of all of your pupils as well but, you were the one that said that I was unworthy of requesting to learn what your school had to teach."  
  
"I was wrong, what is your name?"  
  
"I am Saotome Ranma, of the School of Anything Goes Marital Arts."  
  
"And my boy, I am Sherojo Furhikem of the Sorrojo dojo. I fear that I have nothing that I could teach you. But I believe that I do know someone that can."  
  
"I would be honored. I have another question, I am also searching for someone, a girl. Has there been any that were very good stop at any of the Dojo's in the area, say within the last six months?"  
  
"I don't believe so. Well like I sad, I think that a friend of mine would be able to teach someone of your rank a few things. What rank are you at?"  
  
"I have never been tested, my father always said that all someone needed to do was fight me to see what rank I was, and to tell you the truth I like it that way. When the people that you fight against don't know how to judge you it gives you an edge on them. Not that, it is an honorable edge at times, but did you really think that I was weak when you started our match, or couldn't you tell?"  
  
"I could tell, but you have, a 'soul of ice' my son."  
  
"Yep, had to learn that when I learned the Hyru Shoten Ha."  
  
"You know the Heaven Blast of the Dragon, at your age?!?"  
  
"Sure. I had to learn it when my fathers master, put some burn on me that left me as helpless as a baby. If I wasn't able to beat him, he wouldn't give me the stupid pressure point chart so that I could have my strength back."  
  
Ranma wasn't trying to boast, and he didn't mean to sound so full of himself. He hated that now, every place he went, he was better, and he hated it really. But he was glad that at this moment, the sensai was to busy taking all of his accomplishments in to notice his head drop a little, when his thoughts started to remind him that he was only on one mission.  
  
"My my! Wells my boy, some sensai's would dream to know that attack, isn't that from the Amazons? I thought that they didn't teach attacks to outsiders?"  
  
'The man asks too many questions.' Ranma thought. 'He is wasting my time. I want to know what he is really going to tell me so that I can leave.'  
  
"Oh, that bit. Well I happened to beat the Amazon and I didn't know that if I beat the chick, that she would want to marry me. Well if I had known I would have purposely lost. She even chased me to Japan. Well her great- grandmother taught it to me so that I wouldn't be a puny husband to her grand daughter, as if I would even marry her."  
  
Every time that he started to talk about any of the past, his heart ached, because he now saw all of the problems that he had been in. So many that his ego wouldn't let him see all of that time.  
  
'I feel so sick, I miss her so much. Will I ever come any closer? It hurts too much.'  
  
"I think I would find it an honor to marry an Amazon." Is he obsessed With Amazons? I should bring him Shampoo, I am sure that he could beat her if he tried, he is pretty good, then he can see how it really is."  
  
"Well you didn't know this Amazon."  
  
"Well this man that I'm taking about lives on the outskirts of Komott just about two weeks walk from here. When you get there ask for Tomijorera Jematsu, he should be able to help you on your quest for knowledge."  
  
'Finally.'  
  
"Thank you Sensai."  
  
Amazon's tribe:  
  
"We must wake her up for the birth, I fear that if there are complications that either of them might suffer."  
  
"Very well but immediately after we must sedate her."  
  
"Yes, by all means."  
  
They fed Mais Su some mushed up tea leaves, and her eyes snapped open. She screamed in labor pain.  
  
"What is happening, what is happening to me . . ." She started to think about her surroundings, mumbling a name as her pain subsided, and she turned over. She started grabbing the bed covers as another pain awakened in her abdomen.  
  
'Who were all these strange people, why am I still alive . . . what is happening to me?'  
  
She looked at her stomach. It was bulging.  
  
'Oh my god . . .' she remembered . . .  
  
Her memories were groggy, only because she felt half dead and like she hadn't moved in months. But she remembered. She looked around, she was surrounded by old hags. The women must have been the same age as the old hag herself. She wanted a knife, this time she would succeed in finishing the job of killing herself. There was a pair of chopsticks sitting on the table next to her. When the next pain subsided, she grabbed them and broke them in half . . . she raised them above her wrist, and attempted to rip the now healed scars on her wrists open once again. But her hand was caught by one of the old crones who shook her head.  
  
"LET ME DIE!" Akane screamed half cried, begging them to end her misery.  
  
"Just end it here, PLEASE, I don't want this . . . I want to DIE!"  
  
The woman started to jabber in Chinese. She couldn't understand a word of Chinese. But then one just said,  
  
"Push and it will all be over."  
  
Largely because of the pain, and only a little because she knew that the crone was right, did she obey. There was a sharp pain and she screamed one last scream,  
  
"RAANNMMAAA!!!!"  
  
Fighting the pain trying to squirm out of the grips of the old women, and then it was over. The last thing that Akane heard was a child screaming, but the last thought that Akane had, as Akane, was peace.  
  
*************  
  
"Boy! I know that you can do better than that!"  
  
"What is it that you think I am you old pervert, your demolition machine!?"  
  
The old man stopped in his insults. Out of pseudo space, the old man pulled out an enormous mallet, the size of a crane, and smashed Ranma into the ground before he could jump out of the way.  
  
'The boy has skill, I do believe that this time around, the Technique will live longer that three generations.'  
  
"Ranma, I am not going to take insults form my pupils."  
  
'But this boy's mouth, and personality, they anger me. He has gone through too much, and he is still only a boy in the body of a man.'  
  
*************  
  
"It is a girl. What will you call her?"  
  
Lali Su had been thinking about this since the day that Akane, had come. Since the elders said that all of Akane's memories were going to be erased later on that night, she though of the old Akane dying in a sense. So she though that in honor of the mother that gave birth to the child, which was now to her dead, she would name her Akane, or Aka.  
  
"The child that has given birth to this baby girl is dead. I will name the daughter after her dead mother, Akane, or Aka Su for short."  
  
"Very well. The ceremony will be held in eight days."  
  
Break too outside the tent:  
  
"Mother."  
  
"Muts Su. She had a baby girl."  
  
"What is her name? Is she healthy? Are you going to claim her mothers' rights? Is Akane all right?"  
  
"She is a healthy girl. She weighs 9lbs and 7oz, her name is Akane or Aka Su for short. Akane though is dead Muts Su, now only Mais Su lives."  
  
Mouse found it somewhat awkward to be so joyful about the whole situation, but after all the birth of a baby, if it is healthy, is always a happy occasion even if the child is a bastard.  
  
"I understand."  
  
"She will be happy here, and will live a good life."  
  
"I know. When is the ceremony?"  
  
"The baby's or Mais Su's?"  
  
'And then you move from happy to depressing all in one minute. It is a wonder everyone in this tribe hasn't died from suicide yet, so much happens that is so sad, or messed up.' Mouse thought.  
  
"Mais Su's."  
  
"In about two weeks time. She had to recover from birth. She has not walked around in months, she just lays there. It will take her body longer to heal."  
  
"I will wait till then to leave."  
  
'I hope that she will not be too mad at me that I am leaving so soon. She never understands, I love her, yet there are just some times that I have to leave, to take care of the others. I know that she will always be all right, so that is why I don't worry so much about her.'  
  
"What . . . ?"  
  
"I will explain later."  
  
'I just wish that she understood.'  
  
********  
  
"Shan Pu?"  
  
"Yes. Great-grandmother?"  
  
"I feel that nine months is long enough. We will not find Ranma. We must return."  
  
"But that will mean that I will have to . . ."  
  
"Yes I know. But it is not as bad as wasting your life away on Ranma."  
  
"But I . . ."  
  
"No buts."  
  
"Yes Great-grandmother."  
  
End  
  
Author Note: The Next Chapter will be the ceremony . . . , aren't you all excited? See you then!  
  
C&C's Welcomed 


	5. Purification

Ranma ½ Fanfiction

Desperation

By Ranko chan **Also a special thanks to Amy or Akane chan!**

Part One: Ties Broken and Made

Chapter Five: Purification

(Mais Tzu's Point of View)

"Mais Tzu you must wake up. The ceremony is today."

I could hear voices, the words were jumbled in my head. My head ached. I didn't want to open my eyes, for the light seemed to seep through even as my eyes were closed and the light stung and burned.

"Where am I?" Was all I could manage to say, through the pain that I was feeling in my head.

"You are finally home." I didn't know what this lady was talking about. Home? Where was home. I couldn't' remember anything.

"But I . . ."

"Not now it is time for the ceremony."

"What . . ." I didn't know who she was. Waite? I didn't know who I was. Everything in my head was empty. It was like having racing thoughts, but those thoughts contained noting but questions.

"The elders, don't you remember dear, they said that since you have been gone so long, that you had to be cleansed. It was harsh, but after all you don't remember anything, am I right?"

"Well no." And how did she know that I didn't remember anything? This is very scary. What ceremony? What I going on. If I only could remember something because everything about me, whoever I was, whatever was happening; it all feels so wrong.

"I am sorry, and to think that you don't even know your native tongue, but I suppose you would revert back to Japanese, you were adopted so young, you probably had it ingrained in you deeper than anything else. It was a good thing that your brother speaks Japanese."

"Waite . . . I still don't understand?" Native Tongue? Japanese? Am I Japanese? Adopted.

"Mais Tzu, just listen to me, and do what I tell you. . . . Oh my! We are going to be late! Gather your things, oh, I already did that. Well after the ceremony, you will be sent away for a while, so I just wanted to say that I love you and hope that everything goes well for you. I am aware that this all seems very confusing, but it is because of your memory loss that you must be cleansed before the tribe can accept you again."

"Well, all right." What did this woman what me to tell her? No I am not going to do this. Did I have a choice in the matter? How did I lose my memory? Will it ever return? Will I ever remember what happened? And if I forgot, then maybe it is something I do not want to remember.

'Mais Tzu was that my name?' How do you forget your own name? I just don't understand anything and I don't know what I am supposed to do? I feel deep down that I don't know this woman. Why should I trust her? Why should I do what anyone tells me to do? I have no trust, I have no memory.

The woman hugged her and held on tightly, squeezing her bringing her deeply into her small frame. The woman then too her head in her hands, and tilted it so that she could place a tender kiss upon her forehead.

I don't know that I can trust any of this, but I can tell that this woman cares for me, so I will do as she asks. I grabbed the bag that my supposed mother figure gave to me and let her lead me out the door.

(About a week previous)

"Kohn Lon you have finally returned, did your great granddaughter marry that young man that you thought would be such a good add on to the tribe?" One of Kohn Lon's closest friends asked.

"No." It was disappointing, but Kohn Lon would not let her granddaughter waste any more time on Saotome Ranma. Yes she was defeated, yes she must break an oath, and now, just as she had done in her lifetime before, long ago, she must be cleansed.

"Oh, well. You have missed a lot here." Her friend smiled weakly. Kohn Lon wasn't sure if that smile meant that what had happened was something good or bad.

"I smell the incense of birth, who was it, did they have a male or a female? I need some happy news." The birth of a Girl was always considered a happy time for the Amazons. While unlike Myth they did not kill their sons, or send them away, the life of a male was not celebrated like the birth of a female.

"Well that is a long story." It was interesting that not even her friend felt that revealing the child's gender was not as important as revealing how the child had come to the tribe.

"Really, well we seem to have all the time in the world, follow me into my tent and tell me all about it." Well in truth they did not have much time, but they had time enough to recall events.

"Yes."

-Inside tent-

"Well it goes like this. One day about three months back, Lali Tzu was walking with her son. They walked to Jessyenkyo, and there they found a girl that was trying to commit suicide. They saved her out of the pool of her own blood. She was barely alive by the time they arrived at the village. She almost lost the baby then. The wounds were bound, the blood stopped but even then she fought. She had obviously been through so much turmoil. We saved them. Lali Tzu accepted her into their clan, and then when the girl was ready, we looked at the girls past. The girl defiantly had reason for wanting to die. Lai Tzu made the decision that it was in the girl's best interest to have no memory and to keep the girl asleep for the remaining time of her pregnancy. We put the girl under small doses of sleeping powder, and have kept her half conscious for the months that ended her pregnancy. When she had to give birth was the only time that she was fully conscious. She did try again, when she realized that she was still alive to kill herself, and this was during labor. We knew that she had a strong chi but we did not realize how determined of a person she was or how strong she would be until that moment. It takes so much for a woman to think about anything other than labor pains during birth. We again stopped her. We erased every part of her memory after the birth. She is now Mais Tzu."

'New blood, maybe I did come back to the tribe at the right time.' Kohn Lon thought to herself. It would seem that Shan Pu would have a worthy sister to cleanse with. The cleansing ritual was a hardship. Just as a body fasts, cleansing is a way to purify oneself through isolation. The time that two sister share with each other allows them to use each other in order to rediscover themselves.

"Do we know who she is?"

"It seems that Mu Tzu knew who she was, you will have to ask him."

'Why would Mu Tzu know who this stranger is. Half of the time he walks around blind.' Kohn Lon thought bitterly.

"Very well, is would seem that Mais Tzu and Shan Pu will be entering sisterhood together?"

"The ceremony will take place the morning of the seventh sun."

The other woman exited the tent and Kohn Lon sat down on her chair-

'Mu Tzu knew who this girl is, I wonder? I will have to ask him.' Kohn Lon felt that Mu Tzu was the next person she must find. She went looking for him in earnest.

Kohn Lon found Mu Tzu sitting at the outskirts of town. It was almost as if he didn't want her to find him.

She could tell by the way his chi changed that he could sense her presence.

"Mu Tzu, you know that I am here."

"Yes I knew, and I presume that it is to talk about my sister. Mais Tzu."

"Yes."

Mouse was sitting stiffly he was tense the moment that he sensed her. She knew that the boy didn't care for her much, but what about her could make him so nervous, and stressed?

"Well, first, have you already told the elders that Shan Pu will go through purification?"

Kohn Lon gave him an evil look, it said, what does it mean to you, and why ask a question like that? Mu Tzu returned her stare, his just as cold.

"Yes."

"It is final then, Shan Pu has given up on Saotome?"

Kohn Lon rolled her eyes.

"Muts Su you know that Saotome would have eventually ran off with that Tendou girl anyway, I was just waiting. Then I waited the nine months and now she must, it is by law. We had already pursued Saotome much longer than I should have allowed. You of all people should know this."

He sighed. This was not easy. He feared what the old hag would do once she found out who Mais Tuz was. Would the continue to pursue Ranma now that Akane was our of the picture? But if she had already made the arrangements for the purification, that could not be undone.

"I will tell you who my sister really is. But who she was is irrelevant now."

"Boy! Do I look stupid to you?"

"I am sorry, but this is even going to make you a little uneasy." He paused, he was still terrified about how Kohn Lo was going to react to this.

"Will you stop your blabbering and tell me who the girl is?"

Muts Su nodded his head, and bowed it slightly. He sighed heavily.

"She is, Tendou Akane."

Kohn Lon stared at him in disbelief.

"I did not see the memories." Mu Tzu continued. "But she was with a child when we found her. I suppose that she was raped. I know that Ranma didn't do it for he had asked me where Akane was the night that she disappeared. She was covered in her own blood when we found her. I did not recognized her till after we brought her here, till after we saved her. I think that she ran here to die in hope that no one would ever find her. She almost succeeded, my mother and I were, I guess, in the right place at the right time."

What Kohn Lo said next surprised him. His fears were eased by her words.

"I only fear what will happen if Ranma thinks that we kidnapped Akane, and comes here to find that she isn't even Akane any longer."

They would not go after Ranma. Shan Pu was truly going to be free form her obligation to marry him. Mu Tzu was truly relieved. It had been a burden that he had worried about since he had found Akane, that because of her situation, Kohn Lon would find reason to continue allowing Shan Pu to pursue a marriage with Ranma.

"But we did nothing, we saved her, and Ranma will know that if he ever comes." Mu Tzu was sure that Ranma would see reason. He hoped of course that was that was the case. Saotome was unpredictable though. He understood why Kohn Lon was worried. The Amazon people had not give Ranma many reasons to trust them.

There was silence for a few moments.

"You are planning something."

'How did she know? What gave it away this time?' He thought to himself.

"I can't hide anything from you, old hag."

"Don't talk to your elders that way!"

'Bonk' She whacked him in the head with her walking stick.

"You have been working at the restaurant to long. I can read you like a book."

"I am going to find Ranma and bring him here."

'She will never understand. She never has experienced true love's grasp on someone.'

"Why would you do a stupid thing like that boy? Akane will be fine here. She will live a life that some women only can dream of living. Why tell him and cause him heartache? And who know what Ranma will think? He could ruin us. What if he does not see reason?"

'Children! I thought that I taught them to at least think before they acted, and I thought that I at least taught them to be logical, and to make wise decisions. I thought anyhow.'

"Because he is feeling heartache right now Kohn Lon. He is searching for her in all of the wrong places. Also because I know that he loves her, and if this was Shan Pu and I was searching, he would do the same for me. I believe that I can make him see reason. I believe that he will only respect us if we tell him that she is here."

"You are a fool boy. You better pray to the Kami that Ranma does not destroy us. Go waste our life, love or no love, this situation is volatile at best. You know that she will not be the same Akane that he knew. She may never be."

"I know. But he deserves to know that she is alright, and he has the right to choose to pursue her if he chooses, despite her differences. Akane will still be Akane, even with a different name, even without memores, her core is still her."

'Love makes fools even out of the smartest I guess. I suppose that at least once in you life you are pulled along by its strings, until they break. But then again they sometimes stay tightly knotted.' Kohn Lon sighed.

"Was the baby a boy or girl Mu Tzu."

"It was a healthy baby girl. I am proud to be her brother."He sighed. "They will be cleansing as sisters then?"

"Yes. It is an odd thing. That ones that were once enemies are now forced to be friends." Kohn Lon smiled. The situation was odd indeed. She hoped for the best of course. Akane was strong just like her granddaughter. They would balance each other out perfectly. She knew that the would indeed come out of this purification new women, stronger women.

"Yes odd indeed, although, Mais Su will not know anything of the past, an well, Shan…" He trailed off. 'Shan, please treat my sister well. The past is the past. Shan I hope will not hold grudges.'

'Kohn Lon, please remind Shan that the past is to stay in the past. I would like Mais to survive purification. If anything happens to her, Ranma may not forgive us."

"I know." The boy knew Shan to well.

"Shan Pu?"

"Yes. Great-grandmother?"

"Today is the ceremony."

"Yes I know. Who is my partner?"

"Her name is Mais Tzu."

'She must not ever tell Mais Tzu who she really is. We cannot afford to risk anything when it comes to her old memories. That and Shan must let the past go, and accept Mais as a new person not as the person that she once knew.'

"I didn't know that Mu Tzu had a sister."

'He never had one, till now.' Kohn Long thought with a smile that seemed out of place on her serious face.

"He does now, although, you must remember, that this is purification. All that was of the past is forgotten for this is the key to the future."

"I know." She hated when her grandmother lectured her. She knew what purification was. She knew that it was meant to cleanse body and soul. Shan wondered why her grandmother seemed to continually lecture her about letting the past go. They had been there a week, and all her grandmother kept telling her was that it was important for her to let go of the past. That was why she was going through purification, to forget the past, and to reestablish herself as Amazon. She had been in the outside world to long, she needed to return to her roots. The cleansing was not a punishment it was a renewal of life, a rediscover of oneself.

'Why would she tell me something like this now, she knows that I have already let the entire past go.'

"Don't forget. You must never again speak of the past."

'I just hope that she realizes how important this all is. She mustn't let it onto Mais Tzu, and of what she once was. Not now, and not ever.'

"I said that I knew."

"I just wanted to make if perfectly clear, for even in sticky situations you have to remember this."

'One of the things that I will not miss in my time of solitude is her babbling all of the time.'

"I must go."

Mais Tzu was lead by her mother into the center of the village where the Amazon people had gathered. The elders had formed a half circle, and in the earch there was drawn a circle, about 6' in diameter. Her mother led her to the edge of the circle, where she instructed her to neal on the ground.

'It is all so strange. This is all too strange. What is going on? What is this purification? Why, whose well being? Mine?' Her mother had been trying to explain some of the simple steps that they she would need to perform in the ceremony. She talked about cleansing with another girl, so that they would each be able to support each other through the process. She compared it to if you are fighting alone against many opponents, your odds are slim. But if you have a partner, one that knows your strengths, your weaknesses, they can help you, you can lean on each other for support. She was not able to cover mush of the details before they had arrived.

She saw the other girl coming; she knew that it was the other girl because of their identical clothing. They were both practically nude. The both were only wearing a simple white gi. The gi was short sleeved and very short not even falling to her mid thigh.

The pretty purple haired girl stepped up to the edge of the circle and like Mais nealed on the ground on both of her knees.

"Mais Su, that is name right? I am Shan Pu."

"You speak the language that I speak."

"Yes. You do what I do. And what I say."

"Yes." Both girls nodded.

Shan could have fainted. She had not prepared for this. Her grandmother had subtly prepared her, but this was a total shock.

'It is AKANE!'

So that was why her great-grandmother made it clear that the past was to stay in the past and never brought up again. This was Akane, with no memory. She felt sick almost. She was going to have to spend time with Akane, her worst enemy. Did that mean that one day Ranma would come again also? If her great-grandmother knew about this, then why was she going through purification? Well it was too late for all of this now. The decision had been made. She said a small prayer, the Kami were surely punishing her. It was going to be harder than she had thought to let things go.

The Ceremony:

The elders were seated all around them on the edge of the circle. There were two bowls placed in front of them. They sat facing each other at the edge of the circle. Mais Su sat with her head bowed just like the purple haired girl that sat in front of her. But even though her head was bowed, she still strained her eyes to watch the other girl. The elders around them started to chant. Mais Su could not understand what they were saying. But it made her head spin. The sound of it also sent chills up and down her spine. The air around her seemed electric. She started to sweat from nervousness, it dripped in small droplets off of her forehead onto the reddish earth below. The other girl suddenly looked up at her. She followed the movement. She was now staring into the other girl's deep purple eyes. The other girl started to whisper to her. It was barely audible over the chanting in the background.

"Mais Su, you and I are one, mind and body, from ceremony onward. You understand? What you or I do will affect other. It like you and I same people in the eyes of tribe, so you do bad thing, me and you both punished. You and I will together go through, a purification of soul, mind, body. After we be reborn in tribe's eyes. Are you ready do this with me?"

Mais Su wasn't sure about any of this. She was told that she had to do this. Why were they giving her a choice? She didn't remember? What was she supposed to do?

"I guess I am."

"Then when I shake my head you do also."

The chants ended and Shan shook her head. Mais followed. Two elders then got up from their seat, and gave something to two girls. The girls then proceeded into the circle and set the objects in front of the Mias and Shan. The oldest of the elders stood up, and in Chinese she said a few words to Shan, Shan nodded. Then she started to read a scroll of some sort that another elder put into her hands.

Shan translated it.

(Mais Point of View)

"You are to become blood sisters. You will share each other's pains, and joys and hopes, and sorrows. You are now to become one, in everything. Take the knife and share in each other's pain, in each other's life, and in blood."

Shan then picked up the knife, which I did, and then she held out to me her left hand, and I to her, with her knife, she sliced open my palm. I despite my pain did the same to her. I didn't scream because she didn't. I didn't cry even, because she didn't. I swallowed the pain in gulps. I choked on it, but I didn't allow it to consume me.

She held my hand over the bowl, and let the blood that was cascading down my hand, to drip into it, I followed suite. Then she dropped the knife that was in her right hand, and grabbed my left wrist. I did the same. She guided our hands together, and we took each other's left hands together. Our blood mixed together as our hands stayed together.

"Repeat after me."

She was choking on the words. I ignored the pain just as she did. I choked, my voice cracked. My hand shakily went along with hers. My head racing, I tried to focus on her. Tried to think about only this, only now, us sitting here, the chanting . . .

I shook my head.

"Now, as we share in each others living blood."

I repeated her.

"I swear to protect this bond that is commenced... To remember this bond always as I make my decisions... And I will always remember my sister, which I shared blood with."

I found it an odd thing to say to her. It was like a marriage bond to me. It sounded so foreign. Still holding my hand, she took her right hand off of my wrist, and dipped two fingers, the index and middle into the bowl. I did the same. Then she brought those fingers still shakily to my left cheek, and she ran them over it very gently. Which I did as well. "Now Mais Tzu we are sisters in their eyes."

She then let go of my hand. She placed her hands on the sides of my head, and pulled it down, till my forehead was touching the earth below me. She did the same after she had me in the right position. Her head was touching mine. My hair, which I had not noticed until now, fell over my shoulders, and along my face, it tickled and I wanted to sneeze, then suddenly, the chant climaxed. My hair was pulled out of my face, off of my shoulders, and was cut off.

'Why? Why would they do such a thing? Why my hair.'

I didn't know why, but it felt odd that they would cut it off. And I didn't know if it was important to me, seeing that I couldn't remember what was important to me. So it was frightening that I didn't know if I really needed my hair, or whether . . . I didn't know. But I looked at Shan, my head feeling so much lighter now that the mane that I had was gone. At first I didn't see anything. But then I saw a single tear. If she shed a tear, her hair must have been important, for even when I sliced open her wrist, she didn't cry. I felt so scared now. What could it be that would make me cry about my hair?

The chanting stopped. Shan got up.

"Mais Tzu, don't look at anything besides the ground, and don't utter a word to anyone till I tell you all right." I nodded. I was at a loss for words. Our hands were still bleeding, but she didn't seem to notice, about her wound so I ignored my own. We started to walk. After the first few minutes, I lost track what direction that we were traveling in. After some time we came to a hut. The elder said a few words that I didn't understand and then they left us.

"Mais Tzu. You may talk, but only to me do you understand. Until I tell you, the only form of communication that we have is among each other. We must spend a few months here, to cleanse ourselves. The elders will come each night to bring us provisions, but we cannot talk to them, or look at them."

"I understand."

'I really don't but what else is there to say?'

There was silence. I didn't like it. I thought too much when there was silence. I didn't want to think anymore. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up and know what was going on, and have a memory of something, anything. This morning, I had woken up and had not known my own name.

The temperature was cold. My skin had already started to become tight and my hairs were standing up. I was very cold, the ceremony and the pain, and strangeness of the whole morning made me forget about everything but now, in the silence the cold descended on me, engulfing me. I started to shiver. I was so cold inside. I think that Shan could see it. I was glad that she was concerned. It was nice to have a friend.

"Shan I feel so cold."

"I know."

Shan took me by the hand and led us inside. There she wrapped our hands up in a bandage, and cleaned off our faces.

'The beginning of purification, and the end of the past.' Shan thought.

End Chapter Five

Authors Note: I hope that the revision had given more detail into the world that I have tried to create here. If you are re-reading this then I hope that you have noticed the improvements. I hope that you are enjoying the story if this is your first time as well. Read and Review!

I will continue to update each chapter. Let me know if I missed a name or something. I have been tying my hardest to catch every error.

I wanted to know if anyone was interested in being a beta reader as well.

My stories are only Ranma, Inuyasha, or Kenshin. So if anyone is interested, email me

or leave a review stating your interest.


	6. Then There was a Challenge

Part Two  
  
Then There Was The Challenge  
  
Chapter One  
  
Beginnings  
  
Ranma ½ Fan-fiction  
  
By Ranma_chan  
  
The dew fell upon the country side, and all was quiet and peaceful. The birds were chirping in the trees as the first rays of sunlight broke through the branches, and cut into the mist that clung to the ground. The hut on the outskirts of the village was busy with life. Two girls were already busy training. The Purple haired girl was panting. She paused in her Kata to brush a strand of hair out of her face. Her eyes moved to look at the other girl. She was in the middle of a complicated Kata that she had shown her yesterday. Shan Pu didn't think that the girl would be such a quick learner, but she was mistaken. Mais Su learned faster that she herself. The girl had managed to learn every Kata that she taught her within an hour. Some of the Katas were ones that had taken her months to learn. The girl amazed her. She had never known that Akane had been that good. Shan Pu watched her near the end of her complicated set of movements. A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of her face to drip onto the ground, and the girl sighed as she finished with a bow to the girl in front of her.  
  
"Very good Mais Su."  
  
"You think so? I made two mistakes."  
  
"I didn't catch them. Tomorrow I will teach you another, right now lets spar a bit."  
  
"I don't know, are you sure that I am good enough?"  
  
"Sure. I will go easy. It will clear your thoughts, you look like you have something on your mind. Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. All right, you are the sensai, you know what is best. I am at your command."  
  
It had been a week. Shan Pu had been contemplating when she would test Mais Su and her talent. Since the girl learned the Katas so easily, Shan Pu wondered how much of her skills stayed with her. She knew that the girl had her whole memory erased. What did she remember? And if her mind didn't remember, would her body?  
  
"Begin."  
  
Mais Su lunged for Shan Pu's throat. It was an attack easily blocked. San Pu returned with a kick that if it had connected would painfully relay Mais Su to the ground. But Mais Su parried. She jumped over the kick and kicked Shan Pu in the shoulder, and Shan Pu missed the block. It connected and Shan Pu stepped back to regain her composure. She boosted her energy up a few levels, and adjusted her technique. She would not let Akane, now Mais Su, beat her in their first real spar. She set in motion an inundation of punches, her hands moving faster than the eye could follow. She knew that Mais Su wouldn't be able to block all of them, but her pride had gotten a hold of her. Her pride and her jealousy.  
  
Mais Su, try as she did, couldn't block all the punches. There were just too many. But the fight had done something to her. Just as her practices that week had done something to her. She felt different somehow. Her body was different when she was working out, when she was practicing, when she was sparring. It was like a part of her past was opening up to her. Her body had involuntarily blocked all of the moves her sensai had tried to pull. She didn't know or didn't remember how to fight, but somehow she knew that she once had, and her body was trying to let her mind catch up once again. The punches were waves, a tsunami, that flooded her. Ten punches to her chest, knocked her breath from her, ten or so to her stomach made her lurch over in pain, and ten or so to her shoulder, made the pain too much, her body gave into her mind, and her mind went into darkness. Because in darkness, there was no pain, there was nothing in darkness, but endless calm.  
  
******** "Mother?"  
  
"Muts Su?"  
  
"How is the child?"  
  
"She is healthy, as always. You couldn't ask for a better baby."  
  
"I'm glad. I'm sure that Mais Su would have made a great mother. But, mother, I truly didn't come here to talk about my sister. Mother, I have a favor to ask you." His look was serious. She knew that it was important by the look. When her Muts Su had that look he meat business. She hoped however that it didn't involve him leaving again.  
  
"Yes what is it."  
  
"I would like you to give this to Shan Pu."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"Mother, I can't, they are only in their first month. I couldn't dare to even walk by their hut. Please mother, I am leaving and I have to get this to Shan Pu."  
  
"I . . . I will . . . try."  
  
"Thank you mother. You are the greatest."  
  
"Why are you leaving so soon? You haven't even stayed a year yet."  
  
"Mother, someone needs my help, and I will find him and save him."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Ranma."  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"Akane Tendou's fiancé."  
  
His mother was silent.  
  
"Muts Su, Akane is dead."  
  
"No mother, that is where you are wrong!"  
  
And with that said he left. He could no longer face her.  
  
***********  
  
He ran. No one would understand but Shan Pu. No one knew Ranma and Akane. Something had to be done or neither of them would ever receive peace.  
  
*********** "Mais Su! Wake up! Mais Su! " Shan Pu cried. What had she done? She hadn't meant to hit her so hard.  
  
'Please' she thought, 'Let her be all right.'  
  
Mais Su gasped for breath. Shan Pu sighed in relief.  
  
"Mais Su I'm so sorry!"  
  
Mais Su choked then. A shot of hysterical laughter came out of her lungs.  
  
"You pack a pretty hard punch."  
  
Shan Pu gave her a queer look.  
  
"I'm so sorry!!! Gomen Gomen Gomen!!!"  
  
"Really Shan Pu, it is ok. For reference my stomach has been very sore lately. You just hit me in all the wrong places."  
  
Shan Pu was still apologizing.  
  
**********  
  
Her chest hurt. Her stomach lurched in pain, and her lungs lacked air . . . But her mind was speeding. She saw pictures in front of her of a boy, a man, she didn't know. He was sparing with Shan Pu. She had pulled the same move on him but he evaded it, with ease it seemed. Her eyes focused on the fight. She watched their hands, she watched, she learned. She wondered . . .  
  
**********  
  
"Shan Pu stop apologizing. I said that it was OK!!"  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"Shan Pu can we try that again?"  
  
Shan Pu hadn't expected that question.  
  
"But are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I want to learn."  
  
The battle started.  
  
Shan Pu lunged with a high stab of her fist. Easily blocked. Then a few punches, these were harder to block. Then came the test, a somewhat slow chestnut fist. Tenchuu Amagarikun. She aimed for her sides, her shoulders and her chest . . .  
  
Mais Su saw it coming she saw it in her head too. Her arms could feel it, they were not ready she knew. But she would give it her best shot. She blocked almost every punch. She returned a few, about ten to Shan Pu . . . which she had blocked. Mais Su only took two hits to the shoulders.  
  
"Mais Su . . .?"  
  
" . . . "  
  
She was panting. That was SO weird, she could see someone doing this attack and by them she had copied it. She didn't understand. What was happening to her? Was she remembering?  
  
End Chapter One  
  
Authors Notes Thanks for sticking with me this far! For reference in case I forget this letter. Muts Su gives his mother a letter which I forget all about till...well till a long time after she should have gotten it. I think that I mention it once more. It is not important however, so don't bo to concerned over it. It was basically meant as a love letter to Shan. Well whatever. See you nest time. I was not sure how to spell the chestnut fist attack, correct me if you know how to spell it. Ranko 


	7. Friends From Unusual Places

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Desperation  
  
Part Two  
  
Then There Was The Challenge  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Friends From Unusual Places  
  
Disclaimer- No I don't own them.  
  
"Ranma my boy, it takes work to learn some things."  
  
"I know, and that os what I have been doing for the past six months. I am not quite understanding you old man. I want to learn this attack, even though you won't tell me what in the hell it actually is. I want to learn, and I am willing, but I have spent a lot of time here, and I need to move on, I still haven't found Akane yet."  
  
The old man was silent. They had this conversation many times before. It was when he got to the part about him finding the girl that worried him so. The girl was a distraction, that he had thought that time would break. But he knew that it was time that he moved on with the training, Ranma was ready, he would have to forget about the girl though, there could be NO distractions. He couldn't just let Ranma go.  
  
"Ranma, I know that you want to find her, and I have told you that I am trying to help you. This attack will aid you, but I am going to have to ask you to do something for me, if we are to continue."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
'Blah, blah, blah, he never shuts up.' Ranma thought.  
  
"You need to have a clear head, I think that you are going to have to forget about her, for the training."  
  
Ranma was silent. He had started this journey, for Akane, how could he just forget about her like that.  
  
'I could never forget . . .'  
  
"I can't."  
  
The man sighed. He was afraid that something like this might happen.  
  
"Ranma, if you do not have a clear mind, then you cannot proceed with the training."  
  
"I DO have a clear mind."  
  
'Maybe.' he thought. 'Maybe you do, but what if you don't?'  
  
"Since I cannot convince you otherwise, and since you are the only one that I trust enough to teach this to, and have already come so far, I will agree to try and teach you. Your training, starts at sunrise tomorrow."  
  
'As if I haven't been training already. Its all bull-shit.'  
  
"Thank you Sansai."  
  
'For the sake of politeness old man.'  
  
***********  
  
Muts Su traveled for many days. He didn't stop much, only to sleep, and to eat a meal. He had to find his friend, and he had to somehow get him to come to the village at the proper time. He didn't know what Ranma would do when he found Akane there. All that he knew was that Ranma and Akane needed to be together. He also knew that something terrible happened to Akane, and that Ranma needed to know about it. But the problem with all of this was, that now that Akane was part of the tribe, he couldn't tell Ranma, and outsider, about her. He would just have to get him to the village to see for himself. He had not left China, since he was sure that it was the first place Ranma would look. He had stopped at a few Dojo's and had asked about Ranma, and if anyone had seen or heard of someone like him. He was waiting, for a nibble, he knew that Ranma was one of a kind, and that if he had been somewhere that, they would remember, so he traveled. He asked around, hoping that something would be uncovered one day. Then one day the line got a BIG bite.  
  
"You say that you were looking for someone."  
  
"Yes, he is a boy about my age, and he is VERY skilled. He was looking for a girl."  
  
"Yes I do know where he is." "You do?"  
  
"Yes I sent him to Komott just about two weeks walk from here. To meet a man named Tomijorera Jematsu. He was a friend of mine, that was very skilled. The boy was also training. If you need to find him, he should be there."  
  
"Thank you very much. How can I ever repay you?"  
  
'Finally. Maybe my luck has turned for the best.'  
  
"It is nothing. Tell him that I give my greetings and blessings."  
  
"I will."  
  
  
  
He had traveled to where the monk had said. He had traveled fast. He had been traveling for two months and three weeks when he had found out about Ranma's location. It was a two week walk, but he walked it in eight days.  
  
When he arrived there, the villagers pointed to a valley. He walked there, and in a clearing in the woods on top of a hill was a small hut. Out of its chimney rose a small column of smoke.  
  
He wanted to go right up there and knock on the door, but then it occurred to him that Ranma might not be there. Ranma did learn quickly, he could already be long gone.  
  
He decided that he would wait.  
  
*******  
  
"Ranma, wake up it is time to head out."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Ranma got grudgingly out of his futon. He hated mornings. He wished that they had never been invented. The sun should shoot up into the middle of the sky and wake everyone up at twelve. He ran his fingers through his bangs, and went and splashed his face with some water, and brushed his teeth. He watched the old man stir the soup on the stove, and wondered what it was that gave it such an odd smell.  
  
"So, what is it today?"  
  
"That is a good question, but stop being such a lazy boy, you should be able to see with your inner eye what it is."  
  
Ranma groaned, training so early in the morning hurt his head. But he did as he was told, and focused on the soup.  
  
"It is broth, with rice and honey."  
  
"Close, but there is something else."  
  
His eyes shut. He didn't smell it, he knew that doing that was futile. He thought about the room, and the bowl, almost bidding the bowl to say what it contained.  
  
"Trout."  
  
"Very good. Lets go outside."  
  
"Ok."  
  
************  
  
Muts Su watched them exit, but he didn't want to interrupt. He would follow them, and wait till they retired to talk to Ranma.  
  
************  
  
"Ranma, do you know that there is someone following us."  
  
Ranma nodded. His eyes moved a little to the right, in a motion, as to where the stalker was coming from.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good, I had hoped that you would."  
  
"What shall we do to him?"  
  
Jematsu caught a smirk play across the boys face.  
  
"Nothing just yet. But I was thinking, and it occurred to me that I do not know anyone who would follow us. Everyone in the village knows me, and well I don't really have any enemies."  
  
"I do, but I don't think that anyone would be here." Ranma's smile turned into a look of bewilderment.  
  
"We will see to him later. Right now we have to focus on your training."  
  
"Yes sensai." Ranma payed the follower no more heed. ************  
  
He had lost them, where were they. He had turned one corner, and they were gone.  
  
He walked through the bushes.  
  
"BOO!"  
  
"AHHHHH!!"  
  
"MOUSE!"  
  
"AHHHHH!!" Continued.  
  
"What are you doing here Mouse!" Ranma almost took the duck boy by the collar of his shirt and threw him into the ground, but he controlled his anger.  
  
'Mouse, of all people.' Ranma thought.  
  
"AHHHHH!!"  
  
*slap*  
  
"What did you do that for Jematsu?" Ranma had enjoyed seeing him scared out of his wits, it gave him something to rack him about later.  
  
"You scared him, he was in shock."  
  
"Oh, ya."  
  
'NO DAH!' Ranma thought.  
  
"You know this boy, is he your friend?"  
  
"Well sort of."  
  
'Was he my friend?' A look of puzzlement was readable on Ranma's features.  
  
"Well then lets us see what he wants, bring him back with us." The old man left the boy for Ranma to carry. He just started to walk off to the hut.  
  
"Kay."  
  
'Thankfully for me, it is only a mile back to the hut.' Ranma picked up the other boy and started after the old man. ***********  
  
The hut was small inside, but it was warm and almost cozy. Mouse found himself on a futon, when he awoke and didn't remember where and why he was there, but then he saw Ranma.  
  
"Ranma." Mouse looked groggily at Ranma.  
  
"Mouse, what are you doing here? If I had know it was you I wouldn't have scared ya like that."  
  
'Well I might have but not like that.'Ranma snickered to himself. He was quite pleased that he had been able to scare the duck boy out of his skin.  
  
'I must be getting better, or Mouse has gotten worse.'  
  
'He seems so happy considering the circumstances. I had thought that he would be a little depressed about it still.' Mouse thought.  
  
"Well I was looking for you, and a monk told me where to find you, and I came here, but I didn't know if you were still here, seeing that he hadn't seen you in three months. I waited, and when I saw you I didn't want to interrupt your training, so I followed you I was going to talk to you when you quit your day."  
  
'I want to lead you to Akane.' Mouses face was unreadable.  
  
"Oh, well we knew that you were there, I didn't know it was YOU though. Sorry about the scare, I didn't think that it would scare you that bad. Well, this is Jematsu, my sensai." 'You are here, after all of this time, because you all of a sudden wanted to look for me? Why didn't you start to travel with me months ago? You really have strange ways Mouse.'  
  
"Hello."  
  
'His Sensai?' Mouse thought, as he put on a cheerful face for the greeting.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Jematsu, this is Mouse."  
  
"Muts Su, please."  
  
'I don't mind that Ranma will never say my name right, but I won't have him teaching it wrongly to others.'  
  
"Ya whatever." 'Since when has he complained about that?'  
  
"Are you an Amazon?"  
  
'He looks like an amazon, the long hair gives it away.'  
  
"Well, my mother is, but they don't normally refer to men as an Amazon, but yes I guess I am."  
  
'How did he know?'  
  
"Ranma you have quite interesting friends."  
  
'The boy never fails to surprise me.'  
  
"Tell me about it." 'Strange, that isn't even close old man.'  
  
"How did you know about me?" Mouse was quite curious.  
  
"I use to be an Amazon, I knew the Su dynasty, I married a Su."  
  
"Really?!" both boys exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, many a time ago."  
  
Ranma knew that this line, meant that it was something that the old man would talk about no further. Rather than waste time however, he decided that he would change the subject.  
  
"So Mouse, why did you come here? I mean, why are you looking for me?"  
  
' I really wanted to know more about the old man, but . . . '  
  
"Actually. I was looking, because, well Ranma in truth you are the only friend I have. Well Shan Pu kicked me out, and I wanted to help you find Akane. I went home and spent some needed time with my mother. Then I decided that I would find you."  
  
'Why? I have been searching for all of this time now, why start the fight now, when it has already been in motion for so long?' Ranma's face was shadowed as he looked into the darkness of the hut.  
  
"Well, I appreciated it, but I don't see how you can help. I have been searching. I am learning a new technique, it will help the old man says."  
  
"Ranma I would like to accompany you for the rest of your journey. I promise that I will not be a nuisance, and I won't get in your way, or interfere. I just want to travel with you."  
  
'I will lead you to her, I can see the hurt in your eyes, even though you are hiding them from me.'  
  
"Hay I ain't got no problem with it, it's the old man I think that will."  
  
The two boys look to the old man.  
  
"I would prefer the title, Sensai, or Jematsu. Ranma, you know what the rules are, is he going to be a distraction?"  
  
"Naw. I think that I can work around him, as long as he doesn't bring up the touchy subjects."  
  
'The touchy subjects, I won't even get to think about sleeping after tonight's little talk.'  
  
"Well then Muts Su I welcome you to our humble abode." The old man didn't seem as happy as he had made his voice.  
  
"Thank you Jematsu and Ranma."  
  
'I hope that we can leave soon Ranma.'  
  
(Break *two* hours later)  
  
"So you visited the tribe you say?" Jematsu asked.  
  
"Ya."  
  
"So what's new with them?" Ranma was curious.  
  
"Well Shan Pu has given up on you if that is what you meant."  
  
'I knew he would ask eventually.'  
  
"Wow! One down. Two more to go."  
  
'If I had Akane sitting next to me, I think that I would have kissed her, had I heard such great news.' Ranma became disheartened.  
  
Mouse looked at him through the side of his eye, he hadn't expected that reaction.  
  
"I think that Ukyou will step down as soon as she finds out that you love Akane. I mean, that is if she hasn't found out already." 'Maybe that would cheer him up a little.'  
  
Ranma still didn't reply after a few long moments of silence.  
  
The old man to the rescue.  
  
"So Ranma who are some of these people? You haven't told me about any of them."  
  
"Well to do that I would have to tell you my whole life story."  
  
"I think we have time, we quit early today."  
  
"Well . . ."  
  
Mouse was happy to see that the very disturbing look in Ranma's eyes had diminished to a look of broken hope, but he wanted to make him feel a little better. "Oh come on Ranma, tell him about your travels in China, does he know about your curse?"  
  
"Thanks Mouse, for spilling the beans, if fact I haven't changed yet in front of him, he isn't like Happousai, who purposely splashes me."  
  
"What are you talking about Ranma, a curse?" Jematsu was quite freaked out by such words as curse, spell, and magic.  
  
"See what you've done Mouse, you've scared him!" Ranma looked at Mouse with a glare that was lacking the emotion that Mouse was use to seeing in Ranma's eyes.  
  
*laughter* *more laughter* *bonk*  
  
"It ain't funny!"  
  
'This was more like the Ranma that he remembered.'  
  
"I'm sorry, I mean, he doesn't know, that's what's so funny. I mean, back home, well you were always changing."  
  
"I know, it has bugged me too. Anyway, let me explain before he does something rash. Jematsu, I have a Jesyenkyo curse. Do you know what that is, or do I have to explain that too?"  
  
"Of course I know I was an Amazon wasn't I?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What do you change into?" "The mighty reading mind guy that is teaching me hasn't figured that one out yet either Mouse! Wow! Two points for me tonight old man." Ranma laughed out loud, the slightest of smiles creeping onto his face.  
  
"I change into a girl. Laugh if you will but that is what it is, couldn't help it if even if I wished too."  
  
*silence*  
  
"Ranma, is he OK?"  
  
"Ya, he doesn't like surprises, they scare him, I learned that a while ago. If you manage to get him, he is really weird for the next few hours."  
  
"Weird."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Ranma do you want to take a walk?"  
  
'Me and you need to talk.'  
  
"Sure, lets leave, the old man needs time to think about everything." 'Will you tell me the truth then? I keep getting this strange feeling, it is like you are hiding something.'  
  
(Ranma and Mouse exit)  
  
"So Mouse, is there some other reason why you are here, that you haven't told me? Is there something that you didn't want the old man to hear?"  
  
"Well actually, no. I don't have any news that I haven't told you."  
  
'Except that I want to tell you where Akane is, but I hope you will understand later, that I couldn't do it now.'  
  
"Oh." Ranma seems thwarted.  
  
"Why the sad face?"  
  
'He seems so dismal and lonely.'  
  
"Well I guess I had hoped when I saw you that you were going to bring me some good news. I thought that maybe that you knew something about Akane."  
  
"Ya, I wish that I had some to give you, you are not yourself, and it shows."  
  
" She just vanished. It haunts me. All of the time. I can't find her. I've been looking all of this time."  
  
"You loved her didn't you."  
  
'Haunts you? I am so sorry Ranma.'  
  
"Mouse, I was blind then. I wish I hadn't been, maybe you and I wouldn't be standing here. Maybe if I had told her, then, well maybe then I could sleep."  
  
"It wasn't your fault. Anything could have happened."  
  
"Ya, but we got into a fight, and she ran off. That was the last that I saw of her. No one will ever know how much that hurts Mouse. You will never know. Shan Pu might reject you, but at least you see her every day, and you know she is safe at this very moment, but Mouse, I don't know, I don't and that fear consumes me."  
  
Ranma had turned away, and was now sitting cross legged on the ground.  
  
"So Mouse, you just came to come, if that makes any sense?"  
  
"Ya that is sort of it. Ranma, like I said you are all I have. I have always liked you, and have wanted to be your friend. But I was blind too. I think that now we are both ready to have a friendship, now we are different then before, and we need someone. Ranma, I would like to be your friend, dumb as that may sound."  
  
'Friends?' They both thought.  
  
"Naw, it aint' dumb. I think I would like to take you up on your offer, but there are a few things, for now that you can't bring up. Mouse, I am training, have been for six months or so. I need you to not talk about certain things. I need to stay focused on the training, so don't talk about home, or Akane. I can barely stay focused now, it is hard because each day I feel like I am putting her on the back burner, and that practically kills me. The old man told me that once I have learned this attack, I will be able to find Akane, no matter what."  
  
"Whatever you say Ranma." "Thanks Mouse. I ow you."  
  
"That's what friends are for right."  
  
"Ya, they stick together, through thick and thin till the very end."  
  
"Right."  
  
Ranma got up, took Mouse's fist in his right hand and pulled him into an embrace.  
  
"I am really glad that you have come, I was starting to think that everyone had forgotten about me."  
  
End Chapter Two  
  
Author Notes: TOO MUCH TALKING! There isn't enough emotion in this chapter. I hope that you all liked it. I don't but I want to move it on, I want to finish it. Ranma and Muts Su friends. Muts Su isn't telling him anything don't you all love me!!  
  
Hay just a note to all of my readers, I have re-posted a Prologue that is in the beginning of Chapter one. It also contains a nice note to some readers that had asked for the Prologue. Hope that it clears everything up. Also, if you struggled through a certain part of the story because of grammar, I have also re-posted chapters 3-6. Twice mind you. I thought that had caught all of my errors, and then I realized that I hadn't.  
  
Ranko-chan 


	8. Still Silenced

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
Desperation  
  
Part two: Then there was the Challenge  
  
Chapter Three: Still Silenced  
  
The Amazon village was busy at this time of the year. Crops were being harvested, and there was not a soul in the village that didn't have a job to do. Even the little children were carrying baskets, or sitting on the shoulders of their fathers, to pick the ripest berries off of the tallest stalks of the trees.  
  
Mais Su and Shan Pu had just been let back into the village a few days before the harvest began. They were not hard to distinguish in the throngs of people hard at work. Their hair was still not long like all of the other women in the tribe. They also wore black dresses, the color of new life. They were also very reserved, and didn't talk to anyone unless they were talked too. They didn't talk at all to men. They didn't even acknowledge that men existed. It was part ofpurification.  
  
*****  
  
Mais Su looked over at Shan. She had a grimace on her face. She could tell that Shan wished that they were still training. The three months that she had spent with the purpled haired girl had been exhausting to say the least. She had learned so much. Some she was sure that she had known somehow from before. But, some things she had learned, and she had loved to learn. Shan, was surprised, at least that is what she had said. She had told her, that she was a natural, and that Mais Su had great potential.  
  
They had talked those months. They were very close. Shan had taught her Chinese. Shan had told her about the laws, the customs, everything. All of the things that she had absorbed, it actually scared her. But Shan had been there when she couldn't take it, Shan had been there when she needed to cry, and Shan had comforted her, and reassured her that it would all be all right.  
  
Although Mais Su didn't have her memory, of the past, she and Shan could still talk about Shan's past secrets. Shan even revealed, that once she had a secret crush. They had talked long hours into the night about the tribe, about Shan, about Shan's secrets.  
  
Now three months she had spent with this girl, and they were soul mates. Although Mais Su still hadn't told Shan about her dreams, that was something she wasn't sure that she had wanted anyone to know. Her dreams, her memories, or whatever they were, was something that she held dearly. Never did she want them taken. Those memories, gave her comfort when even Shan had tried to quell her tears. They kept her from feeling like a bottomless abyss.  
  
She and Shan were living with her mother now. Her mother had a baby, it was very young, she hadn't noticed it before she had left. But now she and Shan took turns babysitting it. It was a beautiful baby, she noticed that it had chocolate brown eyes just like her. Today was her turn to watch the baby, which was called Aka.  
  
As soon as they had come back from solitude, they had been assigned certain tasks, and new rules. The rules were harsh, but were balanced in their own way. She was glad that she was at least allowed to talk with her mother, and was able to watch her baby sister.  
  
She and Shan now did regular work around the village, if rarely anyone even tried to talk with them, it was just to ask a question, or something of irrelevance. Never, did a man even look at them for more than a second. Mais Su wasn't sure about the whole thing, but she followed Shan in every way she could, and in doing so didn't think about complaining.  
  
Mia was pulled out of her thoughts when Shan tapped her on the forehead.  
  
"Earth to Mia-chan, your sister is wailing, and you haven't given her the time of day. Is something on your mind?"  
  
She smiled weakly, and pulled her sister out of the sling that was holding her to her chest. The baby didn't stop there, it wasn't until she had a bottle in her mouth that she stopped.  
  
"No. I was just thinking." Mia, as if with no effort at all, hefted the baby, with one hand, into a more comfortable position, and held the bottle more firmly, so that she wouldn't swallow any air.  
  
"Shan, she is too hot, lets go out of this sun, her poor face is red as a radish."  
  
"Ok. I'll go tell Great-Grand-mother, that we are going into the hut to server lunch for her and your mother."  
  
Shan ran off, and Mia started toward the hut. Upon arriving, she went to the back where there was a basket covered with blankets, and secured with some string. She untied the string, and pulled the blankets off the baskets top. Inside were three jugs. All the jugs were full of warm milk, each jug wrapped in a towel to keep it at room temperature. They would be bad in a day if they were not drunk, and on the side of each was a label. She pulled out the freshest one, and poured a fourth of the jug into a new bottle. She then secured the lid again. Her sister was starting to awaken from the sleep that had come over her as soon as she had ingested the milk. She looked into her sisters beautiful eyes as they fluttered open, announcing with a squeak that she was awake. As Mia stared into their depths, something flashed . . . It was to fast, for her to remember anything, but she felt something, something that she couldn't explain. It was a form of grief, it went right to her gut, and her soul, it hurt when she tried to remember. It was all so blank, but, for that second, she had seen something, it was there. She wondered.  
  
End Chapter Three  
  
Author Notes Short I know. Sorry about that. I have been working so hard on this though. I have been trying to move it along. The shorter chapters are helpful. Sorry that this one has no thoughts. Well maybe some but they are not thoughts that are 'marked'. Maybe there will be more in the future. But you get a little more info about Akane and her kid and her new life as an Amazon. 


	9. Strange Ways

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
Desperation  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Part two: Then there was the Challenge  
  
Chapter Four: Strange Ways  
  
Author Note: I have heard that not many read these, I am sure that if you do read them you are normally bored out of your mind, the way that I ramble. Side Note:  
  
Time Lines  
  
Akane Timeline: Akane disappears- appears at the Amazon village approx. 6 months later- Aka is born approx.. 2.5 months later- purification starts 2 weeks after birth- 3 Months of solitude with Shan- two months with tribe total 14 months approx..  
  
Ranma Timeline: Ranma leaves to find Akane- 8.5 months find old man- mouse comes three months later- total 12 months approx.  
  
  
  
This goes to show that Ranma is a little further behind. Just wanted to keep all of you informed about the time plots. Don't get lost on me now, just pretend that you know what I am talking about.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma, although I have dreamed I do. This is done for entertainment only.  
  
She looked into the small hand-held mirror. Her hair was growing, it was already a good six inches past her shoulder. She ran her fingers through it lightly, catching a few snags. Her little sister, cradled in her arms, grabbed at her hair. She winced. She positioned the baby on her knee. She had turned four months yesterday. She was trying to roll over already in her bassinet. Mais took her hair out of the child's strong grip, and tapped them. She whispered "No." Into the child's ear and then kissed the top of her head. The baby had a head of blue black hair just like her own, but there was something different about it. Even at its short length, you could tell that she would have curls in it when it grew out. She put the mirror into a drawer and shut it. She hoisted the baby's weight to her right arm and held the child so that her head rested on her right shoulder.  
  
The child started to protest, losing eye contact, but as soon as she started to get up and move around Aka became quiet once again.  
  
"Shan, isn't there a ceremony tonight?" Shan was in the other room, and was cooking on the iron stove. She hadn't heard all of what Mias said. "What?" She yelled back.  
  
"A ceremony? Is it tonight?!"  
  
"Yes, we must attend." Shan yelled back.  
  
Lali came up from behind Mias and took the baby out of her arms from behind. Mias looked as if she wanted to protest, but her mother shook her head.  
  
"It is a special ceremony dear."  
  
"Yes." Shan added, peeking her head out at the corner form the other room.  
  
"Just for me and you to attend."  
  
"Aka can't come with us?"  
  
"Your mother will watch her."  
  
Mais's face became downcast, she hated to leave the baby, she always wanted her in her sight, ever since that moment, when she had felt, whatever she had felt. She needed the child there.  
  
"Can't I take her there?"  
  
"Mia-chan. That is ridiculous, she is too small. For Gods sake, you sound like her mother worrying the way you are."  
  
'You are her mother, but that is not to your knowledge.'Shan also reminded herself silently,  
  
'How?' She thought 'would I feel if I found out that I had a child that I didn't know existed.'  
  
She was surprised at how sad it made her, and angry and how scary that proposition was. Here in front of her, was her past enemy, now friend, a mother that was holding her bastard child, yet she didn't know any of it. Shan had to suppress tears. She realized how sorry she was for her friend.  
  
"I know it sounds funny, but I am just scared to part with her, I feel like I have to watch her every moment and make sure that she is okay. She is so little and helpless. I don't remember what my childhood was like, but I just have this feeling of debt. I feel I owe her something. Do you understand?"  
  
"I think I do. She is your sister, you love her, and want her well being."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Well, trust your mother, she will be fine. The Ceremony starts at sundown. You don't have much time."  
  
The hissing had stopped from the kitchen, Lali had gone with her sister, and Shan was pouring the fresh ramen into bowls.  
  
*******  
  
******* Mias had been under the impression that she and Shan would be in purification for over a year. They had to grow their hair out to their waist before the punishment could end. Mia knew that her hair grew fast, but the final ceremony was in two months, and her hair still had at least seven inches to go. She didn't understand many things about her people, they were, so . . . she didn't know how to explain herself. She was interrupted out of her thoughts as her mother walked into the room.  
  
"Mia-chan, it is almost time to leave. Are you ready? Shan is waiting for you outside." Her mother smiled at her. It was a warm smile of concern. Her mother could read her. Her mother knew that she was upset.  
  
She kissed her sister on the head and handed her to her mother.  
  
"I will be back soon Mother."  
  
"I know."  
  
Shan was waiting for her outside.  
  
"Mia-chan are you Ok? You look tired."  
  
"I am fine Shan-chan. You have yet to tell me about the ceremony though. Will you just let it be a surprise like the last one?" "There is much that I too don't know. Great-Grand-mother didn't ever allow me to attend such ceremonies as a child."  
  
"You are telling me that you don't know Shan-chan?"  
  
"No, I don't know. There have been few purification ceremonies, I have never seen the ceremony that we are about to take part in. I am actually a little frightened as to what they are going to do to us. I mean this is a type of punishment. I can't see it as anything else. I haven't yet felt it as a punishment however. It frightens me, this whole thing."  
  
"You admit your fears' too easy sister. You have taught me countless of times that this place is a place in which fears don't exist."  
  
Shan could laugh, but she didn't. It was too serious of a time for their fun. "I see that you have learned something. Well you know the saying, do as I say, and not as I do."  
  
Before Mias had a chance to reply, they were at the center of the village, the elders waiting for them.  
  
The center was lit dimly by the setting sun, and the torches were erected to give off a pale light as the sun descended further into the sky. The elders were seated in a circle and Shan and Mia were instructed to take a seat in the middle of the circle. The sky turned into night quickly, and the atmosphere took on something dark and dreary. It was the color purple.  
  
The dirt was cold under Shan's legs. She wanted the warmth of her hut, she wanted to be sleeping curled up under layers of cotton. The ceremony had not yet begun and it felt solemn. She sat very still.  
  
'Mia was right this is no place to talk about fears. This was a place in which you had to find yourself, and your courage. This was the final step before they were purified at the battle soon to come.'  
  
The elders were encircled around them, each was holding a torch. Bugs flew around the fires, the light reflected off of their wings and occasionally one would fly to their death in the fire. Mias sat as still as she could and looked directly at the dirt in front of her. She would not think of anything else, because she had to be strong. She had to face this, she had to face all of this, she had to be strong. She wanted to be free, free from the things that lurked in the back of her mind all of the time. She thought that once this was all over, that she could forget all that happened, and forget her past, and the memories that creped into her mind. They were not whole, but some things she just didn't understand, and she wanted nothing to do with them. All she wanted, was Shan, and Aka. She wanted to be a member of her tribe, and live happily. But to do that she had to have the courage to face this. This ceremony, that at the moment scared the living daylights out of her.  
  
The elders gave them each a cup. The cups were wooden and were very small. In each cup was a sour smelling liquid, that was steaming. The elders motioned for them to drink the liquid so they did. It was bitter, and tasted like salt water. They had to fight the urge to gag. But they sat quietly, and didn't as much as flinch. Shan looked at Mias who was sitting and facing her like in the last ceremony. She looked at her and could tell that the girl was trying her best to loose herself and to imagine that it was all over. She did it so that she could push it back into some corner of her mind like she did to everything else that she remotely didn't like. Shan admired her for this ability. She knew that for herself personally that it was very hard for her to try to ignore anything, or to put it into the back of her mind.  
  
The drink was something that she was not sure of what exactly it was. It tasted odd, a taste that she couldn't explain. She swashed her tongue around her mouth a few times. She was almost sure that she had not tasted this before. She wasn't sure if this would turn out to be a good or a bad thing.  
  
  
  
Mias, felt odd. She knew that Shan was thinking about something. She wasn't sure what the girl would think about at a time like this. Well this feeling was quite aberrant, and it made her feel vulnerable almost. Her head began to spin, and she had to fight the vertigo that all of a sudden spurned itself on inside her. Her neck throbbed, and her skull felt as if it was going to shatter. She had to reach up and support her excruciatingly aching head. The pain was fanatical. She felt her head getting heavier, and the pain, getting harder and harder to bear, but she couldn't cry out, she couldn't allow herself too. She managed to glance at her friend, and saw the girl doing the same thing as her, and looking to be in the same predicament that she herself was in. Then, she heard a chant, and she felt her hand being pried from her head, and a hand forcing her to open her mouth. Something was forced down her throat. She swallowed reflexively. She felt the sweet liquid slide down her throat, and even before it reached her stomach, its sooting effects were felt, as it lulled her into a slumber, and eased her pain, to a mere ache that was around her neck and temples. Then she was asleep.  
  
Kohn Lon watched the girls collapse to the floor. The ceremony was over. They would awaken tomorrow, and the pain should be gone. Their hair should be the desired length and they should be ready for the final fight, and last day of their imprisonment, if that was what she would call it. She wondered where Muts Tsu was, what had it been, three months or more? She wondered if he had found Ranma. She looked at Akane, and she couldn't even think of the girl as something else. She amazed herself. The girl was one of them, and she surpassed Shan in many things already. She was an asset. She had decided that come tomorrow morning to start to train her, the next month before the tournament. Shan could train to of course. But Ranma still played on in the back of her mind. She wondered what would happen, if he were to come here one day and find the girl here, and find her married, to one of their men, and with a child even. She wondered if it was still such a good idea to keep her alive. If she was to mysteriously die, then Ranma would never know, and would leave them in peace, and cause them no harm. But something told her that she should just leave the girl be to live as life let her live, after all she had survived much, that must mean something. Lali Su had told her about the note that Muts Tsu had left. She had told her to wait, and to possibly give it to her at another time. She thought that it would probably be advantageous to give it to the girl now. But she wasn't sure. It probably would be more interesting if she were to just get rid of it. She chuckled to herself.  
  
Mias woke up in her bed with her sister asleep at the foot in her small basket. Her head felt heavy, and she didn't remember what could have caused such a thing. She decided to look in her looking glass. She got up out of bed and walked to a place in the room where there was still a candle lit. She looked at herself, and was in shock. What had they done?  
  
'Well we did have to have our hair a certain length, but this way?' It seemed so wrong, it almost felt like cheating.  
  
The baby started to whimper, and it brought her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Shhh, Aka you use to be such a good baby, now, look at you waking me up in the late hours of the night." Actually she didn't even know what time it was. She assumed because of the darkness, that it was late, but it could very well be early morning. All the same the baby still didn't normally wake up during these times. As she was rocking her sister to sleep, a shadow came up behind her.  
  
"You will be a great mother some day." She hadn't been frightened, she could defend herself against any burglar, but shadows just sometimes creep up on you. She exhaled.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Her mother gave her a weak smile.  
  
"I hope I didn't scare you. They just brought you home. They said that you shouldn't have woken up until morning. Are you all right?"  
  
The feeling of fear gone, her mind reverted back to the ceremony.  
  
"Yes I feel fine. Why did they do that? I don't like the feel of this, I feel like I am cheating my way out of something."  
  
"No, don't feel like that, it is just that our tribe works around some things to compensate for other things. You have to work with others, males, and your purification sentence has to be shortened."  
  
"Well, they make the laws I guess." Her mother nodded in agreement.  
  
"Now why are you awake now?"  
  
"She woke me up actually."  
  
"She is asleep now. Go join her. It is still late. Day will not come for many hours yet."  
  
"Thank you for checking up on us."  
  
She let a tired laugh escape her lips.  
  
"Sill that is my job, I am your mother after all."  
  
She left, leaving Mais Tsu to let sleep claim her.  
  
End Ch4  
  
Author Notes: Well that one was a little longer. I hope that you all like this. I will have up to chapter 13 posted by Christmas, if everything goes the way that I plan. I have the whole thing written, but everything after chapter 13 is in a notebook, yet to be typed. I don't think that I can promise to have that done. So keep checking often. I have been busting my butt off rereading all of this, and fixing it so that you all will get a semi-decant picture as to what I am rambling about. Ranko 


	10. The Technique

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
Desperation  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Part two: Then there was the Challenge  
  
Chapter five: The Technique  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Ranma characters.  
  
The fighters circled around each other. It seemed as though their movements were well practiced to the passer by. But the one fighter, if you were to look closer was struggling. His moves were not of a practiced kata, they were fast reactions to the other fighters' attacks. The other fighter also seemed to be reading all of his opponents moves, being able to prepare, for the assault. Finally the losing fighter bowed ending the spar.  
  
"Aww come on Mouse you can do better than that."  
  
The other fighter panted for air. He was so exhausted that he fell back onto the short grass they had been fighting on.  
  
"Ranma how many times do I have to tell you that you can read all of my moves, and I am not able to do a single thing about it. You seem to think that I am letting you win. Can't you see that you are able to read me through and through?"  
  
"Mouse, if I were able to read your moves then I would know about it. Now stop bullshiting me."  
  
"Jematsu tell him that he is reading my moves. You can see can't you? Tell him he's insane."  
  
The old man standing on the sidelines chuckled.  
  
"Muts Tsu don't you find it somewhat amusing that Ranma has learned an attack and he doesn't even know that he knows it? Frankly, I find it hilarious."  
  
"Well I think that I would find it funny if I was not the one fighting on the losing end of the battle."  
  
Ranma looked somewhat dumbfounded. He was staring at the old man, as if he were in shock.  
  
"Old man is he telling the truth. Did I really learn this stupid attack? I don't remember using it. I don't feel different!"  
  
Jematsu chuckled some more.  
  
"Ranma calm down. Let me explain this to you. The entire 'stupid training' as you called it, was to get you use to telling the difference it the chi in all things. All of the time that you spent distinguishing smells, tastes, scents, moods, it was all part of the training. I made you so use to all of that, you didn't even realize it at first that you could in fact read a person. Ranma now it is like you have two different sets of eyes. They each allow you to see different things. Your eyes, the ones that you were born with, limit your ability of sight. But your new sight is like no eyes you have ever had. Like normal sight, it is automatic, but also like normal sight, you can harness it, focus it. Your new sight is a sight without eyes, is it, the sight of the mind."  
  
Ranma thought about this. He had really learned it? Now he could finally find her. But he couldn't even feel this new sight. And he didn't even understand it. Yes he had it, but how did it work, how does one harness it?  
  
"Wait, a thought just came to me."  
  
"Yes Muts Tsu."  
  
"Ranma knows the 'Soul of Ice" and I am sure that you too know it, you are an Amazon after all. But what if you used the 'soul of ice' to help Ranma to figure out how to use his new sight."  
  
"I don't know that it would help him any, but it will make him Realize that he can subconsciously read my moves."  
  
The 'Soul of Ice' Ranma thought. 'Mouse was right. If the old man was using it, it would freeze the entire chi, making it almost impossible to read him.'  
  
"Well we will give it a try."  
  
The old man took a battle stance in front of Ranma.  
  
Ranma bowed in respect and the battle commenced.  
  
The old man was fast. Ranma knew that from previous fights. Ranma knew that the old man could easily beat him, if he wanted too. In a hand to hand battle Ranma thought that he might have the advantage. The old man was good, but he was no longer in his youth, and that gave Ranma the upper hand. It went fast. The old man attacked and Ranma surprisingly parried, and attacked back. He didn't notice it at first, but after a few shots, Ranma noticed that he already started to block before he knew what the old man tried to attack with. Then he started to concentrate on this new ability. In the back of his mind, his brain was barely even working at all, he found that strange, seeing that normally in a fight, his mind would be racing. But now it was exceptionally calm. He didn't even have to think about the fight, it was like he had already been there, and done it, even though it was still going on. Finally he was able to feel the pulse of his mind, and the waves it was receiving and giving off. He was able to look inside of himself, even as he was fighting the old man, and see himself thinking. It was incredibly odd. It was as if he were sitting in front of a computer game, watching it, predicting the other players, and beating them.  
  
'POW!'  
  
"Ranma! Pay attention."  
  
"...whaa..."  
  
"You forget that the opponent that you are fighting also taught you the technique."  
  
"Yeah, that's right."  
  
"Stupid boys."  
  
There was a long silence.  
  
"I saw it, I could feel it, and I think I can control it."  
  
The man looked at him queerly. The boy never failed to surpass himself.  
  
"Muts Tsu go and hide somewhere on this hill."  
  
"Hide and seek?" Mus Su thought that it was a different way to train, childish, but it would work for what the old one wanted to do.  
  
"Ranma, keep your eyes closed, and when I till you, you tell me where he is hiding."  
  
"I don't get to go look for him?" Ranma pouted with a queer smile on his face while cracking his knuckles.  
  
"You don't need to." The old man smiled.  
  
Ranma closed his eyes, and plopped onto the ground Indian style. He looked as if he could have fallen asleep like that. He looked bored.  
  
The old man watched to other boy hide. He had hidden quietly in the top of the pine tree about a hundred yards away. The old man had not heard him ascend, so he was sure that if Ranma guessed correctly, he indeed knew the technique.  
  
"Ranma, do you know where Mouse is."  
  
"Well I don't have a photographic memory, so I can't tell you what is over in that direction, but I know that he is there, about a hundred or so meters, he's up too, so I am assuming that he is in a tree."  
  
"Very good, but before you open your eyes, try and tell me what kind of tree you think it is."  
  
He thought about it, he sniffed in his mind the waves that were radiating off of his friend. They smelled sweet almost, bitter, and well piney. 'A pine tree.'  
  
"It is some sort of pine."  
  
"Muts Tsu you may come down now."  
  
Ranma opened his eyes. It felt so odd, inside his mind, he could see everyone already, it was as if he didn't have to even open his eyes.  
  
"Jematsu this is so mind boggling, I can see you and him with out even opening my eyes. It is another sight. But do you really think that I will be able to sense things miles away?"  
  
"I think so. You will probably be able to do it soon, it only took you a few minutes to find your sight."  
  
"Well I am going inside for the evening. You boys need to go find tonight's dinner."  
  
Jematsu left without another word spoken, and before the two young men could complain.  
  
"Well Muts Tsu lets go."  
  
They started to walk. Mouse seemed to be thinking about something, yet Ranma couldn't think about anything that would make his friend look upset.  
  
"Mouse what's the matter. You look upset."  
  
"It's nothing, I am just thinking about Shan Pu."  
  
The name still gave him chills. He sometimes couldn't think how he and Mouse had become friends.  
  
"Mouse, I have been training you, the next time that you have to fight her, your going to whip her. Don't worry about her, she will be yours soon enough."  
  
"Yes, I know that all I have to do is beat her, and she will be mine, but I want more than that. I want what you and Akane had. I want her love."  
  
Ranma looked away. Mouse knew that it was hard on Ranma whenever he heard her name. He blamed himself totally for her disappearance.  
  
"Well, I wish I could have had that love before I lost her. You remember Saffron Mouse?"  
  
"Ya I remember. What about it."  
  
"You know I told her I loved her there, when I thought that I had lost her. She heard me, and asked me if it was true and I told her that she was hearing things that I never said it. I think that was the stupidest thing that I have ever done in my life."  
  
Mouse was a little dumbstruck.  
  
'Ranma had actually said that he loved her. That must have been why they had the wedding. Poor Ranma, he really does blame himself a lot for all of this.'  
  
"Ranma she is still alive. I can feel it. You will find her."  
  
'You will I came here to bring you two together, and I will not leave until that is accomplished.'  
  
"Thanks Mouse."  
  
Each and every day, Muts Tsu could see that Ranma was losing hope. It had been over a year since she disappeared. It was too long of a time, and Ranma thought a lot, that his time here, had been a waste. He was ashamed at himself, he was desperate, and depressed, and his heart ached. Muts Tsu would often be woken up at night by him. His whispers, his cries. He often cried in his dreams, It made Muts Tsu want to tell him that Akane was indeed alive. But his honor wouldn't allow him. He couldn't break his honor, but he loved his friend and Akane too much to give up. He would get Ranma to the village, if he had to drag him there. 'Ranma, don't worry, soon you will find her and then you can finally be happy.'  
  
End Chapter Five 


	11. Decisions One Doesn't Remember

Desperation  
  
Ranma ½ Fan fiction  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Part Three: The End of It all  
  
Chapter one: Decisions One Doesn't Remember Anything About  
  
Disclaimer: Takahashi is the owner, and I am borrowing.  
  
This is an Alternate Universe of sorts. Also, some of the scenes may have OOC (Out Of Character) moments. This is MY story, if you don't  
  
like it than read someone else's.  
  
Author Rambling:  
  
Thank-you all for reviewing!!  
  
The sun's rays just started to show over the horizon. Mais Tsu had been  
  
awake the whole night. After the ceremony she just couldn't return to sleep.  
  
She didn't know what was bothering her so much. Her mother had explained  
  
that it had to be this way.  
  
But in the back of her mind, it just felt so wrong.  
  
She sat on her bed hugging her knees to her chest. She was shivering, yet  
  
she wasn't really that cold. Maybe she was getting sick.  
  
She sat there thinking about all that she knew, all that she remembered.   
  
Her eyes became heavy after a few minutes and she drifted off into herself.  
  
She was looking at a scene. She saw a girl that looked like herself. The  
  
girl looked younger and her hair was very short, above her shoulder in  
  
length. She was arguing with a boy it seemed. She had a wedding gown on  
  
however. She didn't understand any of it. She  
  
didn't even know if this was really herself, or if this boy was real.  
  
The flash ended, and another began. She saw Shan. Was that person really Shan? It  
  
certainly looked like her. She was hugging the boy from the other scene.   
  
Then she saw the girl that looked like herself run away, crying.  
  
What did it all mean? Why was Shan in these memories? Who was she really?  
  
She was scared at times to think about it for fear of what she might find  
  
out about herself. But other times she was desperate to know who she was,  
  
and why she was here.  
  
"Mai are you awake yet?"  
  
She was usurped form reverie by a soft voice from her doorway.  
  
"Yes I am awake. What brings you by here so early in the morning?"  
  
Shan looked at the floor. She had seen the look on Mai's face when she had  
  
come in. She looked disturbed. Shan just wished that the girl would tell  
  
her what was wrong. Could she not trust her?  
  
"Mai, today we have to talk."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Well about the end of the ceremony."  
  
'Wow' Mai thought. 'The end is this close that she wants to tell me now.  
  
I'm almost scared of it all.'  
  
"At sunrise we will leave for the mountains. Pack a lunch, and dinner, we  
  
will not be back till late tonight."  
  
"That's a long time."  
  
"I know, but we have much to discuss."  
  
Shan walked out as quickly as she had come in.  
  
What could they possibly have to talk about that would take that long? They  
  
will be walking the whole way as well. What was Shan trying to prepare her  
  
for this time? Whenever Shan had something important to tell her, they  
  
always went for long walks. As the walked, she would be more comfortable,  
  
and she would eventually be able to say what she wanted to say.  
  
Her thoughts about what she had seen in her flashes were almost completely  
  
forgotten as she got out of her bed and moved to the storage room to get her  
  
supplies, and the kitchen to make her food. It was early, and she hadn't  
  
slept but a few hours, but she wasn't the least bit tired.  
  
  
  
The path was harsh. She and Shan had walked it before however, and she knew  
  
what to expect. She also knew that it would be a while before Shan could  
  
gather her thoughts together. Shan was quite shy when it came to  
  
discussions of something important. She knew that they would at least walk  
  
till lunch time. Then when the sun was too hot to continue, they would stop  
  
in some shade and Shan would start to talk.  
  
She was very curious as to what her friend could possible want to tell her.   
  
Purification would soon end, but what was so special about that.  
  
They were about 10 miles up the path when the sun was about in the middle of  
  
the sky. Shan turned around to her and motioned toward the woods that were  
  
to the west of the path about a half a mile away. They started to head  
  
towards them. The second they were in the shade they immediately felt the  
  
coolness of the air. The way that it rushed down their throats, was like a  
  
refreshing glass of water. Shan sat down on a patch of cool dirt, and Mia  
  
sat next to her.  
  
Shan looked into the sky, and sighed.  
  
"The reason that I took you here, was because I wanted to tell you about the  
  
fighting ceremony that is arriving soon. It is different here, in our  
  
tribe, and this fight is special. You see our tribe designed this fight, for  
  
a certain purpose."  
  
Shan stopped, she seemed to be thinking about something, but Mia knew from  
  
past experiences that when her friend was in deep thought, it was not  
  
something that was up for their discussion. So she just waited for Shan to  
  
continue.  
  
"Mia, this fight, it is designed to find the strongest male and female, and  
  
to marry them."  
  
She was silent again, this time it seemed was to give Mia time to think.  
  
"Mia, the women fight first, and they find a champion, the strongest out of  
  
all the women. She is rewarded with special gifts. Then the men battle  
  
and the strongest are chosen among them. After the strongest is determined,  
  
and each is ordered from weakest too strongest, they battle with each other.  
  
Although the women can choose who they want to fight, if you don't want to  
  
fight the weakest man, than they have the choice, and if the man doesn't  
  
want to fight you then he has a choice. The catch to all of this is  
  
that if the woman loses, then, she must..."  
  
Mia hated it when she cut off like that, just when she was going to tell her  
  
the real reason that they had walked up here, she stops.  
  
"Shan, if the woman loses, she has to do what?"  
  
Mia tried to coax the answer out of Shan faster, for the suspense was  
  
killing her.  
  
"Mia, if the woman loses, then she must wed the man."  
  
It was said very softly. Shan seemed very uncomfortable to say it.  
  
"Shan you have to be kidding; if we lose we have to marry him."  
  
"No, it is not a joke. It is a tribe tradition. It is there so that the  
  
strongest genes will be passed to the next generation."  
  
Mia sat there for a while. She had not expected this. She was going to  
  
fight, and she might have to marry someone?  
  
"Waite Shan, do you have to fight?"  
  
Shan was silent. It was quite a while before she answered.  
  
"You do not have to fight; it is a decision that is left solely up to you."  
  
"What about love, Shan? You have told me before that you have a crush on  
  
someone. Who is he? What about him, will you ever have to chance to marry  
  
him?"  
  
Shan turned and looked at her then. A tear rolled down her face.  
  
Mia could almost read her thoughts.  
  
"I'm sorry Shan. I didn't think."  
  
"No. It is ok. Love isn't something that the tribe believes is needed in a  
  
marriage. In the tribe good life goes to the strongest, and if you want stronger children then they need strong genes."  
  
Mia sat there for another long moment.  
  
"Shan will you fight?"  
  
"Mia, let me tell you a story. There was once a woman that was in love with  
  
a man. She had snuck out with him just a few times. They would walk this  
  
very path together, and they would tell each other how much they cared for  
  
each other. One day, they consummate their love. They had planed to run  
  
off together, but the ways of the tribe were too strong in their hearts, so  
  
they tried to think of a way to marry with the tribes consent, and not to be  
  
disgraced, for the woman was strong, the second strongest of their clan.   
  
She couldn't just say that she loved him, and marry him, and she couldn't  
  
just start a fight with him and lose. It has to be a formal fight, and the  
  
tribe had to witness the loss.  
  
This special fight was two months away. At this fight, she was one of the  
  
last persons, the third strongest of the tribe, and he as well was strong,  
  
the second strongest. But she was much better that him, she could easily  
  
defeat him. The men are not taught many of the attacks that the women are.  
  
But out of her love, she lost to him, and they were married. Mia they  
  
married for love, but this story is rare, and it is looked down upon, and  
  
every child is taught that this is a sorry way to live ones life. They are taught that only the weak sacrifice their strength for something like love."  
  
"That is so sweet. Yet it is looked down upon to love?"  
  
"Yes. It is your choice, if you want to marry someone you may choose to lose to them."  
  
"Shan, will you lose to someone?"  
  
Shan looked off into the sky. It was the brightest blue, and the suns rays  
  
were passing through a cloud, and you cold see their radiant lines shining  
  
in the sky. It was breathtaking, and it comforted the heart.  
  
"I once thought that I would never lose to anyone, but that was a long time  
  
ago. I once believed that I didn't need love. I once thought that I would  
  
never marry, and that I would become like my great-grand-mother. But then I  
  
found love in a strange place, and saw it fuse two people together. I knew  
  
after that, that I needed love."  
  
Shan was hugging her knees to her chest. It looked as if she were  
  
suppressing tears. Mia thought that it was strange that a subject could  
  
make Shan so upset. There were still so many mysteries about both of them.  
  
"But Shan you still did not tell me whether you will lose."  
  
Shan smiled. Her friend would again try and pry information out of her.  
  
"Sometimes, well all the time, I think about it now. I lay in my bed closing  
  
my eyes, and I think about it. At first I told myself that I was crazy, but  
  
after many hours meditating on the subject, I finally decided that, I will  
  
lose someday."  
  
Mia smiled, they were now getting somewhere.  
  
"So who is the lucky guy?"  
  
"You will laugh. Well take that back, you don't know him."  
  
"Aw! You still have to tell me!"  
  
Shan smiled. She got up, and stretched. They had been talking for a while,  
  
and it was past lunch, and she still wanted to walk a good three miles  
  
before they turned around.  
  
"If you SWEAR that you won't tell or laugh, I will tell you. But first I am  
  
hungry."  
  
Mia removed her lunch out of her pack and set in on her lap. She watched  
  
Shan do the same after she returned to a sitting position. She took a bite  
  
of her bread, and when Shan finally said it, she almost spit out her food.  
  
"MY WHAT?!"  
  
Shan looked embarrassed.  
  
"Don't give me that look! There isn't a soul that can hear us, so I can yell  
  
all the hell I want. It is all just a little weird. You love my BROTHER! You  
  
have to be kidding me."  
  
"No, I am not. He has always loved me; he has had a crush on me since we  
  
were only children. He even followed me when I was beaten. He even followed  
  
me when I stalked my opponent to Japan."  
  
"Waite you were beaten?"  
  
  
  
End Chapter One  
  
Author Notes: Do you like it? So Shan is finally admitting that she likes  
  
Mouse. Do you think that Akane will remember who she really is? Did you  
  
like my flashbacks? 


	12. Guide Me To The One I Seek

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Desperation  
  
Part three: The End of it All  
  
Chapter two: Guide Me To The One I Seek  
  
  
  
There had been a long training session that day. Ranma found that he was utterly exhausted. He was also incredibly sweaty, and felt that he needed to go bathe. He excused himself, and as usual, Muts Tsu followed.  
  
"Ranma that was a really intense session. Is the old man finally hammering you?"  
  
"It is getting harder each day to be able to do what he asks. I noticed at first that I could do everything basically automatically, but now I have to focus. So as you can tell, it zaps every ounce of energy that I have. I swear that I sweat two gallons of water. Is that even physically possible?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
By this time the two had striped and were necks deep in the hot water. Ranma was so glad that the old man had hot springs around. He hated his curse still, and a cold bath never seemed to soothe the aches that he receives from his training. He was also that he had someone to talk to. If Mouse had turned into a duck, it would be as if he were talking to himself, and that was just weird.  
  
"So Ranma how far can you expand your mind now?"  
  
"Well, I think I have pretty much the whole technique down pat, and well, he had gotten m across the pacific. It was so weird. It was like I was traveling time almost. I really can't explain it. I never thought that something like this was humanly possible, but this is my life, and I never really believed in ancient Chinese curses, well until I received one."  
  
"I know what you mean. So you think that you will be finished training by the end of the week?"  
  
"I think that I will be done by tomorrow, that is if the old man doesn't have another trick up his god-dammed sleeve. I swear he is worse at not revealing the real truth till you have basically either done the wrong, or learned from the error, than my father ever was."  
  
"Well I am happy for you.(lengthy pause) Have you tried to find her yet?"  
  
"I was waiting for that one. Actually, I haven't. I can't explain the way my mind works to too many people. I didn't try yet, well because, I don't want to be disappointed twice."  
  
"You are so pessimistic."  
  
"Mouse I haven't found her yet. I haven't heard from anyone yet. I can't really help the fact that I am pessimistic. Mouse if you never noticed, in my life, NOTHING, and I mean nothing, works out for the best."  
  
Mouse couldn't think of something to say to break the unearthing silence, so he just sunk a little deeper into the water. There was nothing that he could say. Ranma would have to work it all out in his head. Mouse couldn't just tell him not to be depressed. The poor guy had lost everything. Mouse knew how he felt.  
  
After a good relaxing bath. They walked back to the cabin.  
  
"Ranma."  
  
"Ya old man."  
  
"I think that you have learned all that I can teach you."  
  
"Your not hiding anything up you sleeves are you."  
  
"No Ranma I am not this time. Tomorrow, I will stand by your side as you search the whole world for your fiances."  
  
"Thank you." They all went to sleep.  
  
Next morning  
  
The sky was still misty. The air was so calm, the birds had not even awoken to fill it with song. But in the mists there was a boy, that was practicing complicated katas on a hill amongst the mists. His eyes were closed in concentration. He executed his moves' perfect. It was a complicated dance of movements that were engraved into his memory. They were as automatic as breathing. It was beautiful. The sun arose as he finally finished and sat down on the wet ground. He stared off into the sun, and silently bowed his head in prayer.  
  
'Please, if there is a god out there, guide me to the one that I seek.'  
  
Those were the words that he uttered a few times, until the tears weld up into his eyes, and he wept.  
  
  
  
  
  
When Muts Tsu finally awoke it was past sun rise, and he knew that he had to haul his butt out of bed, if he was going to be there when Ranma would finally find Akane. He knew that she was all right, and he was happy that the day would finally come, where his friend would come out of his depressive state. He couldn't picture the look that Ranma would be wearing when he felt his fiances. He knew that he would laugh his head off once he saw it however. He rushed outside, and saw that the two other men were standing facing the sun, and they both seemed to be collecting energy from it. It was something that he had seen before throughout the last month or so. Every day Ranma would have to learn to collect more so that he could expand his mind further. They would stand or sit there for hours. Just the day before they had a three-hour energy gathering period. The old man could do a lot more that Ranma could do with that amount of energy, so he assumed that Ranma would eventually learn to harness the energy better, but he guessed also that he would have to gather more today than the day before. It was a little more than a half hour when Ranma finally came out of his trance. Jematsu had been done fore about twenty minutes.  
  
"Ranma remember, that if you don't have enough energy, that you have to stop. You can always try tomorrow. You understand."  
  
"I do. If I don't sense her."  
  
"We will discuss that after."  
  
Mouse watched. Each time that they had done this, it was amazing. It wasn't amazing in a visual way, but he could feel a tingling sensation fall over him each time, because he could actually feel their chi waves pass over him. They glowed slightly. It was just like in a battle when chi was used. He watched as sweat gathered on Ranma's forehead...  
  
Every mile was another pain. It was how it had to be. He had rushed his mind to learn more, and how to go further, it was how he had learned everything in life. Get somewhere, and then go further, that was what he did in life. This attack was so complicated, that he had pushed so much, and then more. Now he was going from half the globe to the whole thing. Every mile, was registered into his head, searched, and then forgotten. He went first to Japan. He had seen everyone from his family, and the Tendou's. He went next through all of China. Nothing. Then he went through Europe. He saw nothing when he went to Africa. He knew that some of these places were pointless. He went through the US, he found nothing, South America, Canada, Australia, He even went to Antarctica. He saw Ryoga somewhere in Germany, he though anyway. His head was pounding when he had only been through a portion of the mentioned above, and when he had finally made it to the end of the list, is head felt as if it had been cracked open, and his brains had been spilled on the floor and eaten by deranged monkeys.  
  
When he finally opened his eyes to come back to himself, he realized that he was on the ground in a fetal position. He was curled up into a tight ball and was shaking like a madman. Mouse was by his side, and was trying to get a hold of his shoulders, to try to stop the shaking of his neck. He felt this huge surge of pain to his head, that hit him at the base of the neck, and then nothing.  
  
"What just happened?!" Mus Su screamed as Jematsu removed his finger from the boys neck. Ranmas body went limp, and he fell to the ground with a thunp.  
  
"What did you do to him?!"  
  
"Nothing, I just made him go to sleep."  
  
"While he was shaking like that, isn't' that dangerous?!"  
  
"No. He was shaking because he didn't listen to me. He pushed himself too far. Luckily for him, his body can withstand anything, a normal human being would have possible died from such a mental strain." Muts Tsu was silent. How could the old man be so impartial?  
  
"Muts Tsu. Why are you not telling Ranma where Akane is?" Woah! Where did that come from? How did he know?  
  
"What?" "Muts Tsu you forget that I am an Amazon, and that know so much more of this attack than Ranma. I have only taught him the basics, eventually he will learn that he can do more on his own. But you are avoiding the inevitable. Tell me."  
  
"Jematsu, Akane is now an Amazon, and as such, I cannot reveal her location to Ranma, who is not an Amazon. But tell me something? Why didn't he find her? I thought that he would, and then I thought that we would be gone in earnest to get her."  
  
"It is somewhat complicated. Since this is an Amazonian attack, it is virtually impossible to detect anything Amazon with it, unless you are an Amazon. It is quite odd, frankly it makes no sense whatsoever, so if you are confused, well so am I. But I think that it has something to do with the chi pattern to the earth itself. I think that the ancient Amazons placed the tribe there for a reason. You cannot sense it even standing right in the center of it." Muts Tsu was silenced yet another time by the knowledge of the great martial artist that stood in front of him. Since he had come here, he had learned so much. The man was one of the most knowledgeable that he had ever met. He wondered who he had married that had let him learn so much of the Amazonian ways.  
  
"Jematsu, I wish that I had known that you knew. I have for the last few months had to keep my mouth screwed shut, I certainly would have liked someone to talk to about it all."  
  
"I don't know that I would have been much help. Mus Su you still haven't given me good cause why not to tell Ranma. Just because she is an Amazon, does not mean that he does not deserve to know." Muts Tsu because very silent. He wanted to talk with someone, but he knew it better to be silent.  
  
"Muts Tsu. You can trust me."  
  
"She is going through purification. She is no longer Akane. She is Mais Su, my sister. If Ranma finds her, she will not even know him. I wanted to bring him there myself, and be there, to explain it to him. I don't want him to go berserk, and to kill off our entire people, thinking that we did this on purpose."  
  
Jematsu was quiet this time.  
  
"I don't think that Ranma would do that."  
  
"Well you haven't seen the things that Kohn Lon and Shan Pu did to him to get him to be Shan's groom. He hates the Amazons with a burning passion, and he has cause. But he also dearly loves Akane, and will do anything for her. I know, I was there the day that he killed Saffron for her sake." "He killed Saffron?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well I don't know how he will react when you bring him there, but I hope that it all works out for the two of them. Ranma has been a great pupil. I will miss both of you, it has been a long time since I have had people staying with me. Please come back whenever you can, I will be glad to have you all. You can bring me news of the tribe next time." Muts Tsu nodded his head. He knelt down and picked up Ranma, and positioned him into a piggy-back position on his back. He walked back to the hut. He laid Ranma down on one of the cots. They would have to leave in the morning, to start the trek back. It would take them normally no more than a week and a half, but with the way Ranma would be feeling, weak, and depressed, Mus Su knew that he would be moving slow. A sickening thought crossed him mind, what would he be able to do against Ranma if he tried to kill himself?  
  
"He won't." Muts Tsu didn't even ask. He just accepted the fact, and bowed his head to the Kami, to please let the old man be right.  
  
End Chapter Two  
  
Author Notes: Blah. I hope you like the whole affect that I am creating. This whole depressed Ranma is something that I happen to be able to create easily. If you ever read Loves Destiny, my other REALLY crappy story, he is like serious throughout the whole thing. I didn't think that he would end up so depressed, but I realized a few weeks ago that he had to be. Turns out I am in the perfect mood to write it. My best Friend is moving away, and it just put me in the perfect mind set, I won't even have to think about a depressed Ranma, it will be automatic. Peachy. Don't worry though I ain't gonna do anything stupid. This happened before, and I know what to expect, and how to cope with it. Sorry I babbled. 


	13. I Was Just Planning To Jump Off A Really...

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Desperation  
  
Part Three: The End of it All  
  
Chapter Three: I Was Just Planning To Jump Off A Really High Cliff  
  
Mouse watched Ranma. The sun was already coming over the horizon. He knew that they needed to be leaving. But Ranma still hadn't awoken. He was already pacing by the time that Jematsu awoke.  
  
"I thought that he would be asleep for about a day, but I guess, since he didn't find her, this has all hit him too hard. I really don't know if he will awaken any time soon. I am guessing that it will be about five days, more or less. It all depends if his will to live gets stronger faster that it is."  
  
"A week? Are you sure? He never has been out that long before."  
  
"He has never lost like he has this time."  
  
Mouse was silent, but he sat on the edge of Ranma's cot, and took the bag that was on his back, and started to pack Ranma's things in it as well.  
  
"What are you doing boy?"  
  
"I am leaving, and Ranma is coming with me. We have to leave now, it will be a two or a three-week journey. If I will have to carry the lug half the way, I better leave now."  
  
"You are going to carry him?"  
  
"What other choice do I have?"  
  
The old man nodded. He went into the other room, and brought back another bag, it was smaller that the one that Mouse was packing. "Here, put some of the things in here, and you can tie it to Ranma's back, and then he will have a bag to carry once he awakens. Also there are a few herbs in there just in case." The old man never finished the sentence. Mouse knew what he was saying though. Healing herbs that were what he meant, in case Ranma tried to do anything stupid, like 'die'.  
  
"But I thought that you said that he wouldn't do anything stupid like that."  
  
"I thought so, but I have never seen him like he is now, with his chi so low. He has always had this spark that you could never quell."  
  
Mouse closed his eyes in regret. It hurt his head to think about this. To think that his best friend would do such a thing. He got up and put the bag down. He walked to Ranma's bedside, and picked him up and positioned him in a piggy-back position. He then put his pack on Ranma's back, and tied the small one to his waist.  
  
"Good luck."  
  
"We will be back to see you one day. I promise."  
  
"I know."  
  
That was how they ended it, there was nothing left to say. So Mouse walked out the door, a drooling Ranma over his shoulder, with the weight of two bags of luggage to boot as well.  
  
  
  
Tribe  
  
"You have been to Japan?!"  
  
Shan almost covered her mouth, but realized that if she had done that she would have been in worse shape.  
  
"Well just once, for a little while. I didn't learn the language that well. Only the basics."  
  
"But you have never told me about any of this."  
  
"Well it isn't something that you just discuss over training secessions, or dinner you know."  
  
Mais Tsu was quiet. Shan was right. But that still didn't make it right did it. A flash back popped in her mind, and all of a sudden her head hurt. She felt as if someone had stabbed her in the temple. Her hand went up to the side of her head, she cried out a small whimper. Shan stared at her. She was a little confused.  
  
"Mia are you all right?"  
  
The flash was really short, but she was sitting in a restaurant, the boy was near the food window, and a purple haired girl was hanging on him, the sign above the restaurant, read the Japanese words 'NekoHatten'.  
  
"Mia?"  
  
She shook her head as the pain subsided. "I am ok."  
  
"What happened? Are you sure that you are ok?"  
  
"Ya, I just have a head ache, I don't know what happened. It just felt like I was kicked in the head. I am sorry to worry you."  
  
"It's ok, I am just worried about you. Look, it really isn't a story worth telling. I had to follow this girl to Japan because she beat me. I got there and I couldn't kill her, so I came back, to take the punishment for being so weak." It was stretching the truth. Shan hated having to lie, but she just couldn't tell her.  
  
"I understand, I am sure that you don't like to talk about it."  
  
Shan nodded. Shan got up. It was getting late, and they really needed to finish their hike and return to the village. If they left, it would take them six or so hours to get back.  
  
  
  
Ranma and Mouse  
  
It had been a week. Ranma was still deadweight on Mouse's back. Mouse was starting to worry. He knew though that each day he grew a little stronger. He could sense his life force. He could feel him coming back to reality. Mouse just hoped that once he awoke, that he wouldn't get any ideas, about permanently putting himself to sleep.  
  
That night, he laid out the mats, one next to each other so that he could keep a close eye on Ranma. The fire was at the feet of the mats, it burned with a renewed vigor in the thick air of dusk. Mouse watched Ranma sleeping. It was not hard to sense him so close, but it wasn't a normal feeling. But there was something that seemed different about the air all around them. It was thick with something. It gave Mouse an eerie feeling. Then all of a sudden he heard a loud sneeze.  
  
"Ranma!" He screamed.  
  
"Arg, I feel like I've been run over by a truck or something."  
  
Mouse was too joyful to speak.  
  
"Wait a second, where the in the heck are we? This ain't the old mans hut! Mouse where have you taken me?"  
  
Ok so Ranma spoiled the moment.  
  
"Ranma you have been out for a week, and we are a week away from the tribe, if we hurry it up, a week and a half it we travel at a snail pace."  
  
"What are you talking about? Why are we going there?! You know that I don't want to go there. Mouse that place has brought me nothing but misfortune. China is a godforsaken place, it is nothing but bad luck!" His voice, which was an exhausted surprised voice was now harsh, and had an angry edge. He was mumbling something under his breath about stupid china when Mouse thought that he should at least tell him something.  
  
"Rnama, I have not seen my family in a while, and well, there is a special battle, and I thought that it would be the perfect battle to beat Shan Pu in. So here we are. You should know that I've been luging you around for five days, and you do know that you are a heavy son of a gun."  
  
Silence.  
  
'Five days.' Ranma thought. 'I have been out for five days. Is this all that I have to live for? I lost it all, Akane was all, and I didn't want to wake up. I worked so hard for nothing. She is gone. She is gone.'  
  
"That long? I have never been out for that long."  
  
"Don't sweat it buddy, everyone has their time, even Ranma, the greatest Martial Artist of all time."  
  
Ranma didn't reply. His head was bowed by now. He was Indian style, his bottom half still covered by the blanket that Mouse had covered him with.  
  
"Mouse I am gonna take a walk."  
  
"Great, I'll go with you."  
  
Ranma looked up, and death glared at him.  
  
Mouse glared right back at him.  
  
"That's ok but I'd prefer to go alone."  
  
Mouse wasn't giving up that easily.  
  
"And I was just going to go for a walk anyway, so we will just have to go together."  
  
Ranma didn't say anything to Mouse, just continued to glared. He got up, and took a defensive stance.  
  
"I AM GOING ALONE!"  
  
Mouse knew that if he didn't calm the boy down, he didn't stand much of a chance at defense.  
  
"Ranma, I want to see you breathing tomorrow morning, so I am gonna walk with you. That is final."  
  
Ranma never broke the eye contact, just walked stiffly towards Mouse.  
  
"You are NOT my father, and I DON'T have to listen to you."  
  
"I am aware of that, but as I said, I know that if I let you go alone, that you will try something stupid."  
  
"I will not."  
  
"Will too."  
  
"I was just planning to jump off a really high cliff. I am sure that I can find one near by somewhere."  
  
"And that is precisely why you are not going off alone."  
  
"Darned I said that out loud didn't I. Shit."  
  
"Sit you ass down, and lets eat. You haven't eaten in days. Aren't you starving Ranma?" Ranma hadn't sat down yet, he was still glaring, but some of the tense posture that he had was gone.  
  
Mouse started to chop up one of the onions that he had in his bag and fry them in with the fish tat he had already started to cook in a matter of seconds. The mention of food seemed to cheer Ranma up a little, I guess it was something that always had, and forever will. Ranma sat across from Mouse on the other side of the fire. The sun was setting, and the fire was the only light. Mouse finished sauteing his fish, and glanced up at Ranma, whose face was in the shadows, and hard to read.  
  
In an extremely low sad voice Ranma asked, "Would ya pass me a fork and knife.  
  
He was handed a plastic spork.  
  
"This ain't no knife, it ain't even metal Mouse! Give me a god-dammed knife!"  
  
"Ranma you need to get more creative, this is just too easy to see coming."  
  
He grumbled and started to eat.  
  
"Ranma, I know how your feeling buddy. I know how it feels to loose something so dear. But it isn't the end of the world. Lets just go to the tribe, and meet my family, and then I will take you home to Japan. Please." He added in desperately.  
  
Ranma didn't answer. Mouse feared that Ranma would bury himself in his own sorrow. He hoped that it wouldn't be the case throughout all of the next week of travel.  
  
"Ranma just to let you know, I am not going to be off of your back until we get to the tribe. I am gonna tie you to a tree to sleep if that is what it takes. Straiten up your act buddy if you know what is good for you."  
  
(Ten minutes later)  
  
"Come on Mouse, this isn't necessary!" Ranma tried to pull his hand free from the freshly tied knots in the rope that was fastened around his wrists. He was propped up against a tree trunk, with his arms wrapped around the front of his body, as if he were wearing a straight jacket.  
  
"Ranma after the whole hand me the knife and fork thing, I feel that this is necessary."  
  
"Dammit Mouse! Don't you think that if I really wanted to kill myself that I would have already? Do you think that you could stop me if I was that serious about it?"  
  
"Well honestly no, I didn't think that I could stop you. But even though you aren't serious enough about the whole idea to push me out of your way, you are thinking about it. So because I know that you are depressed, and unstable even though only to a certain point, I am going to sleep easy knowing that you can't die tonight."  
  
Ranma was steaming at this comment."  
  
"MOUSE! Untie me NOW! If you do, I won't kill YOU when you do it tomorrow morning." He said it in the most malicious voice that Mouse had ever heard protrude out of Ranma's mouth.  
  
"Ranma, I will take the chance of dying. But you are going to stay tied. As Mouse was talking, he finished tying the last little bell to Ranma's ropes.  
  
"Now if you manage to untie them, ill hear you."  
  
Ranma only grumbled in a mock defeat, though Mouse knew that he might not survive the next morning.  
  
"Ranma, just try and listen to me for once. If you would just hold out, and get to the tribe without dying, you will be happier." He hoped that Ranma wouldn't ask why he would say such a thing, because that was as far as he would go as to telling Ranma anything.  
  
"Mouse, why would going to the tribe make ME happy? I HATE that freaking tribe! You know how much I hate it. How many things has Shampoo ruined? How many Mouse? Can you even count them on your hand? She has made my life a living HELL! It is all from that tribe! Why would I want to go there?"  
  
"I understand why you hate it so much! I REALLY understand, BUT you FORGOT to mention how many times they have also HELPED you! Ranma you are so thick headed. How strong would you be today if they had not stepped into you life?"  
  
"Mouse you of all people should know at this point I could care less about my Martial Arts ability. That has not helped me find her. All of this time I have spent on another stupid technique to find her, and nothing. What if she was alive three months ago, and instead of lolly gaggling around I had been searching, and had found her? What do my martial arts do for me without her? What is the sense of living if you have nothing to live for Mouse?" Mouse paused to take in Ranma's plea. It was more emotion than Mouse had ever seen come from the boys mouth.  
  
"Ranma, I know. I know that she was important to you. I know that if you were me and I was in your shoes, I'd be saying the same thing, and be wanting to die as well. But don't you know that you would be doing exactly what I am doing. You know you would. You would be sitting here telling me that I have many more reasons to live. You would tell me that I still have a mother, and family that love me, and that I have you, a friend that couldn't bear to lose me. Ranma, just this once if you ever are gonna listen to me do it this once. Come to the tribe. Shampoo has relinquished her rights to you. If you come, she will not be like she always is. She is just another Amazon now. Don't be afraid, just come."  
  
Ranma slumped against the tree. The bells on his rope jingled. He growled.  
  
"I will go. I don't see why I should, there is no reason. But on one condition, untie me right now. I promise that I won't die on you I won't even think about the dead until we are at the tribe."  
  
Mouse smiled.  
  
"I don't' know if I can trust you Ranma. Everyone knows that you are a compulsive liar.  
  
"Very funny Mosue."  
  
Mouse laughed, and got up to untie his friend.  
  
"But you still have to wear the bells. You have to wear the bells on your wrist, neck, and ankles, just so that I can keep track of you."  
  
"Hay I gave you my word ain't that enough?"  
  
Mouse looked him square in the eye and in a very monotone voice replied, "No."  
  
Arg was all that Ranma said.  
  
End Chapter three  
  
Author Note!!!!!! SOOOOO SORRY about the inconsistency of the names. I sent chapter 12 to my editor, which hasn't really been the editor for most of the story. I told her that I had already fixed chapter two, of part three, which is chapter 12, but I hadn't fixed the names, and she wasn't sure if she had changed them. So this is just in case she hasn't. The only name that I worry about is Mouse's. I know that the way that I spell it isn't technically right, but that is how I decided to spell it, Muts Tsu. If it is not right, I will fix it someday. Sorry again. Akane_chan normally does a superb job at on the chapters she does edit though. So sorry, it was my mistake. 


	14. Mommy

Ranma ½ Fanfiction  
  
By Ranko-chan  
  
Desperation  
  
Part three: The End of it All  
  
Chapter Four: Mommy  
  
Even though Ranma had promised Mouse that the thought of death wouldn't even cross his mind, Mouse still insisted on Ranma never being out of his sight. Everything Ranma did he asked to do it, told Mouse where he was going, how long he would be. It was liked asking parental permission to do something though Ranma got use to it by day 2 he voiced his dislike all of the time.  
  
"Damn Mouse I'm going to take a piss and I sure as hell never thought I would have to ask permission to do a normal bodily function. Next what will it be, will I have to ask you to eat and sleep?"  
  
Though Mouse often slapped Ranma for comments such as these, he also knew that his concerns were loving, and that it was only for Ranma best interest. They were for Ranma's good and he knew that deep down Ranma didn't mean a word he said. It was like, you knew that your friend had a sour temper, but they rarely showed it. Then one day you do something to piss them off, and they say something to you that you never though would leave their mouth.  
  
(Two days later, four days since Ranma awoke, and nine days since they left)  
  
"So Mouse the area is starting to look familiar, how far to the tribe?"  
  
"Well probably about two or three days. I think that will be the same day that you arrived, what was it 4 years ago? Well we will arrive that day of the harvest festival. The men and women fight. You know the rules. Although unless you are an outsider woman, that rule of the law, doesn't apply, sometimes."  
  
"Great! Just don't let me eat the prize food again."  
  
Mouse laughed.  
  
"Sure thing Ranma. It's a great time. It's almost fun to watch the women beat the men and its Romantic as well to see some lose for the love."  
  
"Really, Amazons love?"  
  
"Of course Ranma. Amazon women are famous for the amount of love they can give. *chuckle* if you know what I mean."  
  
"Pervert! That wasn't the pun. Amazons can actually fall in love, and marry some guy for love?"  
  
Mouse felt a small bit insulted, but then Ranma had never seen the good side of the tribe. He had never seen the joyful, happy, loving, brave people the Amazons were. He had only seen the selfish, snobbish Amazon, that always won, always got its way and never gave into the rules, even for a thing such as love.  
  
"Ranma you don't understand how much you don't know. You only see the bad. Although I myself see why this is so. Maybe this time you will see that there is the good side as well."  
  
"I doubt that. But I wasn't trying to be cruel, I just can't picture one of the Amazon warriors giving up her pride for a man. It doesn't fit the mental picture I have of Shan or Cologn."  
  
"As I said, you don't know how much you haven't seen. I think the truth will surprise you."  
  
"Well three more days and we will see won't we."  
  
  
  
Tribe  
  
The preparations were painstaking, for the last week they had increased training from three hours a day to twelve. They only took out two breaks, both for eating two meals, morning meal and evening meal. They trained after supper. They sparred, and worked their muscles into collapse. Each night they went to sleep exhausted, they didn't dream, it was a time to breath without having to tell your aching chest to expand and contract. The time that your burning muscles and flesh could cool and unwind in the biting night air.  
  
Mia couldn't remember a time in her life when she had trained so hard, or when she had felt so bad, even training during purification wasn't this intense. Every muscle in her whole body, from her pinky toe, all the way to her temples was a dead weight. They were tingling, like a million knife points were stabbing all at once. She fell back onto her bed, which her mother had prepared with extra padding. Sleep was instant, and without thought. It was an exhaustion that put you out and didn't refresh, just merely gave your body enough time to adjust to the shock, until the next morning, in which you would start again. The dreams though, which came to her more often than ever now, didn't plague her on these days.  
  
Dreams  
  
She had never really remembered them before, only in flashes during the day time. But it was about the time right after they had hiked and Shan had told her about the ceremony of marriage. After that night, the dreams had started. Some she cried on, some she yelled and stomped her feet. Some she laughed in, and some she loved. She hadn't known who the girl in her dreams was. She looked so familiar. She had thought long and hard, to try and place her face. It had been a day or two before she realized the truth. She was the girl. They were dreams of things she didn't know about. Since she had no memory, she didn't know wether the other characters were fact or fiction. She wasn't going to lull herself into her own fantasies so she told herself that they were fiction. Some she thought could have been fact, but if it all saw true, and she really did use to know Shan, and Japan, then wouldn't Shan have told her? But, none the less, the dreams came. The boy she liked, even though she had seen his face a few times it was blurred in most of her dreams. Since she thought it all fantasy, she didn't mind. Sometimes she could hear him because they seemed to always be fighting inside the dreams. They would call each other names. She called him a pervert, and he called her a tomboy. It wasn't hard to understand why she always seemed, to punt him out the window or through the roof. She seemed to have a somewhat short temper in her dreams. But the dreams didn't come to her during her exhausted sleep. 'Sweet sleep.' She thought, as the exhaustion took ahold of her, and all of the pain, and aching stopped for the few hours that the cover of darkness provided.  
  
  
  
"Mia, wake up. We have to get ready, the ceremony and fight start today. Remember it is a two-day fight, we have to get up now."  
  
Mis groaned. She rolled over in her bed, and dug her head into her pillow.  
  
"Mia, I guess I've been hard on ya hu?" Shan sighed. "All right, I will let you sleep for another ½ hour, but then you HAVE to get your sorry butt out of bed." Shan smiled as she left the room. Shan went back into the main room. Aka was lying on her back cooing. She was batting at some object lying on her tummy. It was an envelope. A white one, it was very small. She looked around, Lali Tsu and her great- grandmother were no where insight. Her curiosity was too strong to just pick up the letter and then toss it. She picked it up and walked into another room. There she carefully opened it, so as too not damage the contents. The letter read, Dear Shan, Before you toss this as another love letter, let me discuss Akane with you. I know that I couldn't talk with you in person about it because of your purification. Since I didn't want to hurt either of you during your first stage, I decided to write you this letter, and to have my other give it to you when she herself could give it to you. Shan, I left to find Ranma. He has to know, he and Akane have to be reunited. The Kami has brought them together, I saved her, from her own pool of blood, and I'm going to save Ranma from his. I believe that Ranma will be quite angry at us. Akane is at our tribe, with no memory of whom she is, and I will bring him here, without telling him anything, that will most likely ignite his anger even more than it is toward us. But I will still bring him here. Please keep safe my new little sister, and her daughter. I know it isn't Ranma's, you can tell because Akane tried to kill herself. But regardless, it was brought into this world, and it deserves to live its life out here. If Ranma finds out about it, who knows, maybe he will take it, if not it will always have a place in the tribe. I love you Shan. Understand I am going this for their own good. I hope that your jealousy over Ranma and Akane's love subsides and that the two of you become good friends. Love, Muts Tsu  
  
She read it over a few times. Mouse had written her a letter before he left, and she had only now received it? Her great-grandmother probably had something to do with that. She had probably chosen for her to see it only now. Shan sighed. 'Well at least I know that Ranma will be coming sooner or later.' She thought. She just hoped that Mais didn't lose any of her fights today. 'Please Kami, save her for Ranma. If love is ever to prevail, let it be their love.' Aka's laughter brought her back to reality. She walked into the other room and looked at the child. The child stared back at her with its chocolate brown eyes and smiled at her. She didn't know what to make of it. Those eyes were trying to tell her something. What was it? Was it a mockery? Or was it a sign that everything was going to work out? Shan poked the baby in the tummy, and picked her up. "Lets go wake up your mommy, what ya say?" She whispered into Aka's ear. "Coo." Was Aka's response.  
  
Mais Su laid awake on her bed, she knew Shan would be here soon. She heard Aka coo, and in turn Shan got up and started to walk toward her room. She closed he eyes rolled over, and made herself take labored breaths, to appear to be asleep. She faintly heard Shan say something, "Wake up your mommy." Her pulse got fast . . . She couldn't control her labored breathing. The words echoed in her mind.  
  
'. . .mommy . . .'  
  
' . . .'  
  
' . . .'  
  
So many things rushed to her head. Her stomach turned upside down and her mouth became filled with bile. She jumped out of bed and rush to the door, and then out to the front door. She ran right past Shan. She vomited in the flower bed. Shan rushed to her side, the baby started to cry. Mias Su collapsed against the wall. She held her stomach tightly.  
  
"Mia what's wrong?"  
  
Mia shook her head.  
  
"What's wrong, what happened, are you all right?" Her head was starting to clear as she got a hold of herself.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
Shan pulled her to her feet and studied her, with the child still screaming in her arms.  
  
"Really I am fine. I just had a sudden stomachache, but I feel a whole lot better now, really."  
  
Mia made herself smile. But inside she felt blank. All of those flashes, what was it all. Aka her daughter? It all made a strange kind of sense. But what if it all was some sort of bad dream? Were all of those memories really reality? There were some of a tall kendoist and a girl in a gymnast outfit. Then there were images of the gymnast and a red head fighting. Then more with the girl that looked like her watching the boy that she liked, fighting the kendoist. The kendoist lost but then he glomped her. More images, a boat, a strange land, her image being reflected in a pool of blood, then nothing.  
  
Shan watched her friends facial features change. She went from smiling, to wonderment, to bewilderment, too sick, all in a few seconds.  
  
"You're spacing out Mia. I am pulling you out of the fight, you are not well." She said. As she said this, she pulled the screaming child to her chest, and started to rock her. Mias couldn't believe what Shan was saying. Taking her out of the fight, that she had been killing herself over? This was not going to affect her. She didn't know what she had heard.  
  
'This is all a bad dream.' She thought.  
  
"NO! I'm fine just get me something light to eat, and a glass of water. I am not missing this fight. Not for the world."  
  
Shan glared at her. She felt her head, cheeks and wrists.  
  
"You don't feel hot. But, I'll tell great-grandmother to make you something special to eat."  
  
"Really. I am fine." Shan stepped away from Mia and walked to another hut, to find her grandmother. Mia balanced herself against the wall. She sighed.  
  
"Gosh." She breathed.  
  
She looked down at herself. She was clothed in only a cotton dress gown. Those few words had made her think of so much. Yet she still didn't remember any names. Only Ran something. That was the mane of the boy that Shan hung all over. She growled to herself. Stop thinking about that mow. I have to have a clear head to fight. I can't be thinking like this and expect to win every battle. She walked back to her room and pulled her cotton dress off. She pulled on a worn-out silk dress from a dresser drawer, and slipped it on. Mia walked to the other side of the room where her mirror hung and looked at herself.  
  
'I looked horrible.'  
  
She sighed. She fixed her hair up a little, and wiped the corners of her mouth with a washrag that was in the washbowl.  
  
'I can't think about the flashes, the dreams, the past, or whatever it is.'  
  
End Chapter 4  
  
Well I am moving faster now trying anyway. This is all that I have typed. I cannot guarantee that I will have a chance to post very soon. I am 17 and have three AP classes in school, now a job, and a life too. Keep reviewing. I love to hear you all. I am so relieved that all you people finally got over chapter one. Till next time. Ranko 


	15. Tournament

Chapter Fifteen  
  
  
  
"Are you feeling better now Mia?"  
  
"Yes. Lots, don't we have to get ready to leave for the tournament now?"  
  
"NO!" Shan retorted. "Come on, Shan, I really do feel better. You know that you can't stop me from  
  
competing. So please let's put the events of this morning, under the doormat  
  
and get ready for the competition. Please." Mia begged.  
  
Shan gave her a sharp look. It said, you worry me, and make me angry, but I  
  
still love you.  
  
"I guess it's up to you. But don't outrun yourself, you can stop anytime.  
  
"Ok. Lets go I'm ready."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"No".  
  
-one minute later-  
  
" Are we there yet?" "You have been there before you baka, stop asking when we will be there."  
  
-Two minutes later-  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"No".  
  
- One minute later-  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"For the Kami's sake NO!!"  
  
:: Snicker from Ranma::  
  
"I love pissing you off Mouse."  
  
"I guess it's worth it to see you smile for once, buddy."  
  
Ranma bowed his head in embarrassment. They were nearing the village. They  
  
would arrive around sunset today.  
  
'Soon, it would all be over and everything would be set aright again.  
  
Kami-sama, please let it all work out.'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Later, at the Tribe Shampoo and Akane sparred for a little more than two hours.  
  
  
  
They were stopped by the bells and gongs that rang from the center of the village. Shan nearly jumped for joy at their sound. She ran to Mia, grabbed her by the hand and nearly dragged her to village square. She stopped at a line of girls and two pins were passed to her, she put one on herself, and gave the other to Mia. The pins each contained a number. Shan was 22 and Mia was 21.  
  
"The pins are just markers for people that don't know us. There will be a  
  
battle chart, so that everyone can keep track of our progress."  
  
Shan smiled at Mia. She was very excited. She knew, Muts Su, and Ranma would be here. She was scared of it, yet the excitement that this day instilled in her,  
  
overrated the fear, she was just happy now. Shan was so lost in thought, that she forgot that they still had many things to do to prepare for battle. She started to walk off in the direction of the changing tent. Mia yelled to her  
  
"Shan! Wait up!"  
  
Shan spun around to find her lost friend.  
  
"Mia we have to change now."  
  
"Change?"  
  
"Yes! We get new outfits for the occasion!"  
  
Mia looked at her, an inquisitive smile, brightening up her face.  
  
  
  
They were each given new dresses, they were quite ornate for battle. Mia's  
  
was deep blue, the color of a dark sky with black and gold trimming. It had  
  
a collar with frog ties. It was short sleeved, and a slit it held together  
  
with another pair of frog ties. It was to her mid thighs with slits up to  
  
her hips, also held together with frog fasteners. Her hair, now to her waist, was  
  
pulled back into two buns on the side of her head. Yet the majority of it  
  
was left down to rest against her back. . Her bangs fell around her face  
  
the side strands of hair were grown out, and tied near the ends with gold  
  
ties, they hung to her mid-chest. (Much like Shampoo's hair from the anime)  
  
Shan received a light pink dress. It came to her knees. The sleeves hung  
  
off the shoulder, and were only about two inched thick. The dress had a slit at the hip, and angled down at a 70-degree angle from the top of the  
  
slit, at the right hip, to the knees. The right leg from the hip down, and  
  
some of the left was revealed as the dress angled down. Mia loved the  
  
dress, it fit Shan perfectly, yet she didn't think that it looked very  
  
Amazon like . . . But she liked it none the less.  
  
So the two girls smiled at each other, and put on their dresses, and the  
  
Chinese version of gym shorts, so that they would be dresses appropriately.  
  
The fight will start in half an hour  
  
"Shan let's go for a walk OK?"  
  
"Sure Mia, a short one, ne?"  
  
"Yes".  
  
They exited the hut and walked to the outskirts of the small square. They  
  
talked for about 10 minutes before they had to return.  
  
"Shan, when we talked last, you said you liked my brother right?"  
  
"Well yes, I guess I did. Why?"  
  
"Well then why didn't you lose to him?"  
  
Shan really didn't know how to answer Mia.  
  
"Mia I guess at that time, I had too much pride. I couldn't then, I didn't  
  
know what love was and what it meant to be."  
  
"How did you finally find out?" Mia was very serious. Shan hadn't ever been expecting these types of questions, especially from Mia.  
  
Shan felt her heart start to pound. Her palms even became sweaty. But she  
  
told herself to calm. "I guess it was because of two very special people,  
  
who showed me what love was."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Oh I really can't explain it, it was just when I looked at them I could just  
  
tell they were meant for each other, and I do believe still to this day that  
  
if two people are really in love that even Kami cannot separate them."  
  
Mia thought about what Shan said.  
  
"You just know then, I mean you just know that you're in love? It's a feeling?  
  
Shan? How do I know when that someone will be there? How do I know that  
  
he will be the one?"  
  
"You just will, that is all . You know . Right here, she placed her palm on  
  
top of Mia's chest, were her heart was also racing.  
  
Shan smiled, and Mia looked at Shan still confused.  
  
Enough, its time to kick Amazon Butt. She snickered.  
  
Well I wouldn't put it that way, but I guess you are right."  
  
"Of course I'm right!" Shan spat sarcastically, and stuck her nose in the air.  
  
Mia laughed, a genuine laugh, and followed Shan, as she returned to the  
  
square.  
  
  
  
Everyone attended the tournaments. Shan and Mia watched on the stands as  
  
the different rings were set up. There were three rings.  
  
One was a plain, flat ring, it was surrounded by flame, inside the ground  
  
was covered with rocks, some small, some as big as a person.  
  
The second was a big pool of water, pools like at Jusenkyo. Protruding the  
  
surfaces of these pools were poles of slim bamboo.  
  
The last ring, was a pit, a log at the top of the pit, and a good ten feet  
  
drop, to the bottom, which was a pool of water with logs floating atop the  
  
water.  
  
The main purpose of battling was to knock out your opponent. But a skilled  
  
fighter uses his/her environment to their advantage.  
  
Shan preferred the log or rock area, she didn't like poles as much, they  
  
were too unstable. While Shan thought Mia would like the same due to the  
  
fact that Mia had in previous times focused on bulk strength, she was  
  
surprised to find out that the poles were now Mia's top choice.  
  
Each ring had their own rules. The rock ring, you may stand on any surface,  
  
and use the rocks or sand to your advantage, but you cannot pass through the  
  
fire undefeated. You are stuck in the fire of battle.  
  
The pole ring, you can only stand on poles, if you fall into the water, or  
  
off the poles you forfeit, or you have to knock the other person off, or  
  
knock them out.  
  
The log ring, you can stand on the log above the pit, and you have to knock  
  
your opponent out, or into the water. If you fall onto the logs in the pit,  
  
you are not forfeit. But once you have been knocked off the log, you cannot  
  
jump back onto the log at the top of the pit.  
  
Mia and Shan were almost last to battle, which meant only the strong would  
  
be fighting them. "Remember, all women fought in this tournament then the top ten fighters would fight the ten best men." Shan reminded Mia.  
  
Mia fought three talented girls, all of which were child splay, but then she  
  
had to fight Shan. Shan she knew would be difficult. Shan had taught her  
  
most of what she knew. Also, to her disadvantage, Shan was chosen to pick  
  
the arena.  
  
Shan chose her favorite, the Log arena.  
  
Shan and Mia both knew each other like clockwork. They immediately went for  
  
each others weak spots. It was only in battle that they fought but never a  
  
time as serious as this one. Mia attacked first. She did an aerial  
  
spin-kick. Shan dodged it, and Mia landed on a floating log. Shan did a  
  
back-flip down to the log Mia was balancing on. She threw a  
  
Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken at Mia. The log started to roll in the water, they both  
  
balanced, Mia ducking under the wave of punches from Shan. She either blocked all of the attacks or dodged them. As Shan's attack let up and started to die down Mia threw two solid punches and spin kick combo. It was an attack she had learned from the boy in here head. In one kick, you actually  
  
kick the opponent seven different times, in all the important places. The  
  
seven different kicks, looked and felt like one kick. Only if you were very  
  
skilled and had a fast trained eye, could you see, or feel the difference.   
  
Shan started to loose her balance, but at the last moment, regained it, and  
  
made a leap for another log. Mia wasn't about to let her off that easily  
  
though . . .  
  
  
  
Ranma and Mouse arrived at the village square just as Mia and Shan's fight  
  
started. Ranma hadn't seen the dark-haired girls face until she turned, his  
  
way to leap in above Shan. He instantly knew.  
  
The life that had dwindled into a spark had now become an inferno in less  
  
than a tenth of a second. He yelled, "Akane!" At the top of his lungs.  
  
Shan immediately became distracted. Mia ignored the call since she didn't  
  
know who was being called, or the voice that was screaming during her fight.  
  
She didn't even look to see that Shan was distracted by him, she just  
  
threw her next attack a blow to the top of Shan's shoulder designed to send  
  
her plummeting into the water in defeat.  
  
Well her hit did connect, to the shocked Shan who didn't even seem to feel  
  
the pain. She fell, hit the water and climbed on a log and just stared,  
  
stared at the two strangers. One who was screaming someone's name, and the  
  
other just staring straight into Shan's eyes. 


	16. Desperat Plight

Chapter 16  
  
  
  
Mia didn't know what to do so she just jumped onto the balancing log at the  
  
top of the pit and stared back at the screaming boy who was looking at her,  
  
and yelling someone's name.  
  
"Akane!" It sounded Japanese to her.  
  
She was stunned as well because she had just beaten Shan. But was it fair? Who were  
  
these men? She couldn't talk to the men yet they were outsiders. She could  
  
talk to the men if the village if they talked to her first, which most of  
  
the time they didn't, but not until midnight could she talk to these outside  
  
men.  
  
The boy screaming stopped and just stared at her. He jumped out onto the  
  
log and asked her in Japanese which she understood, "Don't you remember me  
  
Akane?"  
  
She couldn't tell him No. She couldn't speak to him.  
  
She looked away from him. His eyes were too deep to stare into. Too  
  
emotional, he looked so happy and sad all at once.  
  
"Akane! Speak to me, for gods sake LOOK at ME!" He yelled desperately.  
  
She looked to Shan who looked like she was about to cry  
  
"SHAMPOO!" The boy yelled.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!?!"  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" He bowed his head, his long bangs  
  
covering his heated eyes that might have even been filled with tears. His  
  
chi was hot, you could feel it in the air, even the air was sparking as if  
  
he was generating energy.  
  
Shan too bowed her head. She couldn't bare to look at Ranma, she couldn't  
  
bare to see him hurt. Also he was hurt and there was nothing for her to do  
  
to try and heal the wound, that she had helped create.  
  
Ranma raised his head, to look straight at Mouse.  
  
"Mouse? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was so weak that it was barely  
  
heard. Ranma shook his head, like he was trying to deny everything that was  
  
happening. This was all a good dream turned bad. He had just thought that  
  
he found Akane, but she has no idea who he is. Shampoo isn't talking, Mouse  
  
who brought me here, never told me that Akane was here . . . the list went  
  
on and on.  
  
Mouse opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He too bowed his head.  
  
Ranma felt like breaking something in half. Anger mixed with sadness, mixed  
  
with utter hopelessness was brewing inside of his body. He looked at his  
  
Akane, whoever she was now was a mystery to him. He Turned to everyone, and  
  
with cold eyes said, "I'm taking her! Don't follow if you value living."   
  
He looked, and sounded very serious.  
  
Mia at hearing this, instinctively was confused, and tried to step back,  
  
but before she even had the chance the boy's arms were already around her,  
  
holding her so that she couldn't struggle. She tried to protest but nothing  
  
could break his death grip. Nothing on God's green earth could separate her  
  
from this man.  
  
Ranma ran. He didn't look back, he just ran. With a squirming Akane in his  
  
arms. She was light as a feather to him however. Just the feel of her in  
  
his arms was making him a man again inside. His heart had been racing the second he  
  
had laid eyes on her.  
  
As he continued, the sky became darker, as the sun began to set. By this  
  
time Akane had stopped struggling and was partially relaxed in his grip, she  
  
must have rendered it effortless to escape. He almost laughed at himself.   
  
He knew himself, since she was in his keeping, she would not be let out of  
  
his sight again. He saw storm clouds above their heads and decided to stop.  
  
They were not followed for very long, he had felt the ones that had tried to  
  
follow. Kohn Lon wouldn't send anyone after the comment that he had made in  
  
the village. She wasn't dumb.  
  
He turned to look at Akane, who he had positioned on his back. Her head  
  
resting on his shoulder because she had exhausted herself out trying to free  
  
herself. She fell asleep.  
  
"Hope you don't mind cave accommodations. Cause that is the best I can  
  
offer at present Akane, or whoever you think you are." He told her sleeping  
  
form.  
  
Once in the cave, the light from the entrance was the only illumination that  
  
he had until he could start a fire. He spotted some moss a few feet away  
  
from the entrance, and laid Akane upon it. He built a fire with some dry  
  
branches he found at the entrance. He watched her as she started to awaken,  
  
at the loss of his body heat.  
  
As she awoke, he took some dry meat from his pack which was conveniently  
  
located around his waist.  
  
"Akane, do you feel like talking now that we are alone?" He asked softly.  
  
She was silent. But this time she didn't look away from him. Rather, she  
  
glared at him. She was very angry.  
  
"Why won't you talk to me? You don't even recognize your name. Do you  
  
remember yourself? Your name? Me?" She was still silent.  
  
Quite on the edge, and not really understanding all that he was saying, or  
  
what was really wrong, or even how this all came about he just sighed and  
  
sat back against the wall. With his hands under his head, he started to  
  
speak, looking up first at the top of the cave, and then on Akane.  
  
"Well if you won't talk then I will. Akane, that is your name whether you  
  
like it or not. You and me were walking, you to one of your night classes  
  
the night that you disappeared. We were actually getting time alone, and  
  
were talking. When you and me ever had time like that, it always was  
  
special, because it was always short and generally ended with a bang.   
  
Anyway, Shampoo came along and glommed me. You got jealous and ran off in  
  
tears. I went after you but you disappeared. So the next day when you  
  
still hadn't come home I left to search for you. That was over a year ago!"  
  
His voice became louder, and packed with much more emotion. He had  
  
switched positions, the original one uncomfortable.  
  
"Akane where have you been? Why the hell didn't you come back? What  
  
brought you to the Amazons of all places to go? And for god's sake Akane,  
  
why aren't you talking?"  
  
The last few questions had gone from almost a scream to a whisper, Mia  
  
barely heard the last few words. She still didn't answer him, but she had  
  
lost the angry face. She looked quite intrigued. Inquisitive, like she was  
  
full of questions due to his outburst. But she didn't open her mouth to  
  
utter a sound.  
  
So he got desperate.  
  
"You can talk can't you?" He asked softly.  
  
Oh how Mia wanted to answer him. To tell him that she didn't know what he  
  
was talking about that she had no memory of anything but the tribe, and  
  
Shan. Shan might be the Shampoo that he is talking about. She thought.   
  
She wanted to ask him about all of it though. She wanted to know how he  
  
knew Shan and how he knew her. Who Akane was, was she really Akane? He  
  
thought she was, but maybe she had or has some twin she didn't know about.   
  
Oh how much she wanted to ask him, but she couldn't, not till midnight.  
  
He asked again not getting a nod of confirmation.  
  
"Can you talk? Or are you choosing not to speak to me. I mean you screamed  
  
but you didn't say anything."  
  
She wondered if it would be proper to nod.  
  
She thought, 'What the hell.'  
  
She nodded a yes.  
  
He got wide eyed.  
  
"So you can talk?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Why don't you?"  
  
She nodded no, and gave him a weak smile.  
  
'Dammit what the hell did they do to her!' Was Ranma's only thought as to  
  
why she wasn't talking. He just went on with his business. He tended to  
  
the fire, and poked at it with a stick, all in silence, as she just sat  
  
there, watching him.  
  
It was getting late. After dark probably around midnight. He was very  
  
hungry. He thought he should ask her, if she wanted something to eat.  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
She was surprised he asked. She was hungry. Her stomach had been aching  
  
since the sun had set, and the care became dark.  
  
She nodded.  
  
He sighed. He couldn't just leave her here.  
  
He figured that he might ask to see what kind of response he could get out  
  
of her.  
  
"If I leave, do you promise to stay here, and not move?" He asked in a dull  
  
tone.  
  
She didn't nod.  
  
"If it will make a difference, I am able to find you no matter where you run  
  
too. It was a training technique that I picked up while I was searching for  
  
you." 'Although I wasn't able to pick up the Amazon village? I wonder why?  
  
I am glad that Mouse brought me here.'  
  
"All that matters now is that I have found you, and you won't be able to  
  
make it to the tribe by the time I return. So that means, you better stay  
  
put, or do I have to drag you along?" He asked almost sarcastically.  
  
She still didn't nod her head, but rather, stared straight at him. Her face  
  
blank.  
  
"Well I guess you're coming then. I am sure you won't have trouble with  
  
keeping quiet." He smiled.  
  
They walked off into the darkness.  
  
They went about 50 yards out of the cave, and he jumped into a tree. He had  
  
a few stones in his hand, he motioned for her to follow him, she did. She  
  
landed lightly next to him on the branch.  
  
They waited there for about a half an hour, silently. Then they spotted an  
  
animal, in the darkness what seemed to be a hare. One silent throw of a  
  
stone the size of a marble, and the animal was rendered dead. The stone had  
  
hit it square between the eyes.  
  
She wanted to say nice shot, but it was still a little too early. The moon  
  
wasn't quite in the middle of the sky. She didn't want to take any chances.  
  
He jumped out of the tree. She followed. He picked up his kill and they  
  
went back to their cave.  
  
The fire had died down to a glow, so he built it up to cook the meat.  
  
Ranma slowly roasted the meat. It took a while for him to cook it. But  
  
finally he finished, and cut it in half, and gave half of it to Akane. As  
  
she took it, she thought about the time. He must stay up late a lot, it is  
  
past midnight by now. Mia felt so tired. She had been battling much of the  
  
day, and then he had come. But she forced herself to stay awake. She had  
  
to talk to him, because it couldn't wait till morning. There was just  
  
something about his voice that told her, that she needed to talk to him as  
  
soon as she could.  
  
"I don't know who you are, and I don't know who Akane is."  
  
He looked up at her from where he sat by the fire. His eyes were sad and  
  
lonely.  
  
"You don't remember then?" He asked her softly.  
  
She looked into the fire, away from his glance. She shifted uncomfortably  
  
in her spot.  
  
"No. I don't remember anything except what Shan, and my Mother Lali Tsu,  
  
have told me."  
  
Ranma watched her squirm. He thought that she could possible be ling to  
  
him. But why? He thought.  
  
"Why didn't you talk to me earlier?"  
  
She looked at him then, she seemed to be angry at his question. Angry at  
  
him.  
  
"Why!? Because it would have ruined a whole 6 months of hard work! Do you  
  
have a clue what they would have done to both Shan and I had I spoke to you  
  
before now?! You almost ruined it for both of us!"  
  
Ranma was serious.  
  
"Why was it that you couldn't speak to me?"  
  
She sighed. Her angry look vanished.  
  
"Purification. Today. I could have spoken to Amazon men, but not outsider  
  
men. You are an outsider, aren't you?"  
  
He gave her a look of disgust.  
  
"So Shan as you call her, never told you who you really are!" He sounded  
  
bitterly angry.  
  
"I am who she told me I am. Shan would never lie to me!" Mia angrily  
  
rebutted.  
  
"Oh she wouldn't well then she isn't the Shampoo that I know, or knew. Let  
  
me tell you how I met Shan or whatever her name is. . .  
  
My father and I were on a long training journey. It took us all over  
  
Japan and China. We went to Jusenkyo, and then after we stopped at the  
  
tribe as we were heading back home to Japan. I accidentally ate the prize of  
  
food for her honor feast. So she challenged me to a fight. I beat her, in  
  
my curse form, which I received from Jusenkyo, which I will explain later.  
  
But anyway, she followed me all the way to Japan to kill me. But when she  
  
found out that I was really a man, she gave me the kiss of marriage. But  
  
you see, I was already engaged, and may I add in love with you. Still she  
  
didn't know about the love thing, neither did you for that matter, but I  
  
did. She tried everything to get me to marry her. She cheated, lied, even  
  
tried spiking food, and blackmail. That's the Shan I know. How do you know  
  
it was the truth? You don't remember anything do you? Do you???" His  
  
voice had once again become raised. He sighed this was so frustrating.  
  
She scooted another foot away from him.  
  
"I don't remember!" Mia yelled. This was all happening too fast. What was  
  
this guy trying to do, make her head explode by drilling all of this down  
  
her throat, till some shred of memory was revealed? That wasn't going to  
  
work.  
  
"What do you expect me to remember you? Well I don't OK. You're right, I  
  
don't really know the truth OK. I admit. Shan could be lying, I really  
  
don't know. It scares me sometimes, and sometimes I even think I've  
  
remembered but you know I really don't and you know what they say, Ignorance  
  
is bliss." She retorted sternly to him.  
  
She didn't want to remember? He thought. She didn't realize that she was  
  
taking his new found hope for life and jumping up and down on it. She  
  
didn't know how much she meant to him.  
  
Ranma stood up and walked over to where she had curled up against the wall,  
  
holding her knees to her chest.  
  
He sat down next to her. He laid a hand on her shoulder. Softly he spoke  
  
to her, not being able to control the tears that were leaking out of his  
  
eyes.  
  
"Well, let me tell you the truth, you are Akane Tendo. You lived in Nerima  
  
Japan, your 18 years old, and you are my fiancé. That is you."  
  
He got up, Her eyes follow him as he walked to the wall farthest from them.   
  
His fist clenched at his side, and he punched it. The wall crumbled, and a  
  
hole a foot wide was left from where his fist had hit.  
  
He continued, the tears dripping from his cheeks.  
  
"You were the inheritor of the Tendou school of Anything Goes Martial Arts,  
  
and I've been living at your house since you were 16. We went to Furinkan  
  
High School. You have 2 sisters, Nabiki, and Kasumi. Your mother died when  
  
you were young, and your father almost had a heart attack when you ran off."  
  
He stopped.  
  
She was speechless.  
  
He turned to her then. His eyes were red in the dim firelight. You could  
  
faintly see the tears as they reflected in the light.  
  
"Look I can't talk anymore. If you really don't remember anything tomorrow  
  
morning, then you can return back to the tribe alone. I'll wake you up in  
  
the morning." He turned and went and sat at the fire, and didn't look at  
  
her. 


	17. Waking up

Chapter 17  
  
!!!!!!!!!Author Notes!!!!!!! Hay this is the whole chapter, but the end of the chapter after what Ihad posted as the teaser, isn't totally and comepletely edited. I wanted to get it and chapter 18 up tonight, because I heard that FF was going ofline this weekend, and wanted to make sure you all got a chance to read it before then. SO I didn't send them to my editor, well I did but I am posting them now, before she has checked them. So I hope that I did a fairly good job. Yes and the next fer chapters, well the rest of the story, they will be extremly OOC, as if they weren't already, but just letting you know. I personally think that it gets kinda sappy, but hay I wanted to keep my rating at PG-13. Enjoy!  
She thought hard as she sat and stared at the boy, who was so mysterious to  
  
her. He said they were engaged. Gosh, her other self sure was lucky. He  
  
was a good, no great, beyond great catch. He looked so sad though. What  
  
had happened and why didn't she remember any of it?  
  
Mia Sighed. This man, boy, whatever, was he the faceless guy? The one  
  
that beat Shan, just like he said? Did she used to be this Akane person?  
  
These were her thoughts as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Ranma watched her, as her face changed, and she went from intrigued to lost,  
  
lonely, confused, inquisitive, and then sleep finally came. She reluctantly,  
  
it seemed, nodded off. He quietly got up and went to where she lay. He bent  
  
down and looked into her face. It was so calm in her sleep. He was almost  
  
surprised. He softly kissed her cheek. He went numb, it felt so good. He  
  
was instantly aroused, he ached to hold her, but he knew he couldn't.  
  
He knew also that tomorrow he would never see her again. At least he was  
  
almost positive. Tomorrow, she would wake up, and not remember anything,  
  
and as he promised, he would let her go. Then not having any reason to keep  
  
living, he would end his suffering, and just hope that in the next life,  
  
that they could be together.  
  
'If only the morning would never come.' Ranma thought. 'If the sun never  
  
rose, then I could just sit here, for all eternity and gaze upon her  
  
sleeping form.'  
  
It was impossible though he knew. So he just sat beside her, within arms  
  
reach and watched her until his eyes refused to stay open, and he too fell  
  
into a sweet slumber.  
  
As Ranma had said, he awoke her in the morning. He nudged her gently awake.  
  
She opened her eyes slowly, and his face was the first thing in her field  
  
of view. She didn't mind it, she smiled at him. She knew what was coming  
  
next though.  
  
"So you remember?" He asked almost without any hope left in his voice.  
  
She paused in her thought, should she tell him about the dreams, the  
  
flashes.  
  
"Ranma, that is your name right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
She took a deep breath, and looked away from him, and at the floor. She  
  
started to squirm a little, but then regained herself, and looked at him,  
  
straight in the eyes.  
  
"I sometimes have glimpses of something that could be past memories, but if  
  
your asking if I remember who i am and you and the life we might have once  
  
shared, the answer is no . . ."  
  
That wasn't the answer he had expected.  
  
He couldn't allow himself to get worked up though.  
  
"So what do you remember?" He asked timidly.  
  
She took another deep breath, and this time didn't look at his eyes, eyes  
  
that seemed to eat at her. She looked instead at the floor again.  
  
"The memories have come back slowly. Some of them are of you, most of them  
  
are. Although I didn't really know it was you until now. Some of shame, and  
  
me and you, of Japan, but they are only flashes, nothing more."  
  
So she did remember him? She at least remembered something. But he didn't  
  
care if she remembered all of it, he just wanted her to be happy, with him,  
  
and he wanted her to know who they were. So he had to ask her . . .  
  
"So do you think they will ever come bask? Or do you want them to, that's a  
  
better question."  
  
She looked almost downtrodden now.  
  
"Well, I don't really know. I have a new life now. Since I don't remember  
  
the old one very well . . ."  
  
Ranma sighed.  
  
"So that is it then. You're going back then." He said softly.  
  
She nodded her head. But she added shyly  
  
"You know just because we couldn't have the old life, doesn't mean we can't  
  
start a new one."  
  
Ranma didn't know what to do, he hadn't expected her to say that. Was she  
  
telling him that she wanted to be with him? Did he want this new Akane?  
  
Weren't they really in some strange way the same?"  
  
"Are you really asking this? I don't know what to say."  
  
"Say you will." She smiled at him.  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"You aren't Akane now, you even have a different name, a different  
  
personality. I like you and all, but it would be betraying the real you,  
  
the one that I'm in love with."  
  
'Ok so I asked him to stay and he said no. Why do I feel so sad, why do I  
  
feel tears coming to my eyes?' She wondered as she took a deep breath and  
  
held back the tears. She couldn't cry in front of him and cause him more  
  
pain.  
  
"I understand." She said weekly. Not really understanding him at all.  
  
She turned around to leave. She couldn't be here any longer. She wanted to  
  
cry for an unexplainable reason, she had to get out of his sight.  
  
'Mia, if it isn't any trouble, I'd like to ask of you one thing before you  
  
leave and I never see you again."  
  
She turned around, and looked at the ground. Then regaining some of her  
  
composure, nodded, and looked up and spoke, "Anything."  
  
His palms started to sweat. He shifted his weight form one foot to the  
  
other. This was going to sound so awkward he told himself, but he had to do  
  
it, he couldn't leave without this one thing.  
  
"Would you give the honor and pleasure of giving me goodbye kiss?"  
  
She blushed, as he did. Mia really couldn't believe he was asking her  
  
this. And he was asking her permission. The way that he looked at her the  
  
whole night gave her the feeling that he really was in love with her. She  
  
was surprised that he hadn't tried to kiss her already, and now he was  
  
asking. He was so cute it made him irresistible. And in the back of her  
  
thoughts, she was subconsciously wanted him to kiss her.  
  
She nodded.  
  
He walked slowly up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled  
  
her close to him, and gently leaned down to kiss her. He didn't expect her  
  
to kiss back. But he didn't mind if she didn't. After all this was it,  
  
because he didn't have much life left to live after this encounter. He was  
  
surprised when his innocent kiss turned into a passionate one. She parted  
  
her lips, and licked his. He couldn't just let her scream 'kiss me more' to  
  
him before he complied. But the second his arms roamed and his tongue  
  
entered her mouth she jerked away and fell to the ground on her back. She  
  
grabbed her head, and curled up into a fetal position . . .  
  
" Akane!!" They were just about to make the kiss something more. His tongue, the sweet taste of him entered  
  
her mouth, then it all happened so fast. She jerked away. Her head felt like it was exploding. The  
  
memories were flooding over her, she remembered who she was, her whole life, why she had run  
  
away, the Kunos, Ranma all the things she loved him for, and why she had wanted to die, Aka, how  
  
she was a mother, all so fast. All it had taken was a kiss.  
  
"Ranma" Akane whispered as she felt him take her into his arms.  
  
It was Akane's voice Ranma knew. Akane was back. Mia was no m ore.  
  
"Akane are you all right?"  
  
She wasn't able to talk yet. She felt sick, like before, when she had got the flashes, but she had  
  
managed to keep her stomach settled enough. The only plight her stomach gave her was the taste  
  
of vomit in the back of her throat. Even though her stomach was still protesting, on emptying itself,  
  
her mind was in fare worse shape. It felt diced.  
  
"Akane, it's you now isn't it. Your voice is different, softer and sadder. Her voice was happy and  
  
confused. But you sound sure."  
  
He knew. She wanted to embrace him. Tell hi all that happened, that it was a mistake to leave.  
  
She wanted to tell him that she loved him, they had already had too many close calls.  
  
"Ranma." She couldn't make her lips move. Ranma saw her try to speak, and recognized the look  
  
in her eye. He knew that she was crying inside. He pulled her closer to his chest, and kissed her  
  
forehead. "You don't have to remember anything if it hurts you now. I have the rest of my life to figure it all  
  
out, no need to rush things, ne?"  
  
Akane managed to smile her approval. If she could only talk, she'd tell him, that if that was a  
  
proposal, he needed to work harder.  
  
"Akane I don't care why you left. I only hope it wasn't my fault. I know now that I was a total jerk.  
  
I've known for so long that I've loved you, but I lacked the courage to tell you." He kissed her cheek  
  
this time.  
  
"Ranma . . ." He moved to her lips, innocently. She couldn't really return the measure.  
  
"Water." She managed when he broke the kiss.  
  
He almost panicked, and dropped her out of his embrace. He got up so fast.  
  
"I'm so sorry." He immediately brought her something. A thermos. The water was ice cold.  
  
She drank a sip. The water turned all the dry flesh soft and moist. The clod numbed the burning  
  
sensations in her throat. She took a gulp. Then she filled her mouth to were her cheeks were  
  
puffed out. She looked at Ranma, who was sitting beside her and tried to smile with the swollen  
  
cheeks. Failing, she accidently spit a stream of water in his direction. I a clean arch it  
  
transcended right on his shoulder. The cold water turned him female.  
  
He looked down at himself. He smiled, and said the first thing that popped into his head.  
  
"What'd you do that for?!"  
  
Akane couldn't contain her laughter. Now being able to talk with the moistened throat, she  
  
laughed.  
  
It was the laugh that he remembered. He/She couldn't believe this. He had come here to say his  
  
goodbys to life, and now . . . now . . . tears came to his eyes. She was just as he remembered,  
  
everything except the sadness behind her eyes.  
  
"Ranma?" She saw her cry. What's wrong? She got up and wiped the droplets off of Ranma's  
  
face.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said softly, thinking that she had done something to hurt him.  
  
Ranma shook his head.  
  
Akane inched her head into Ranma's field of view. Ranma smiled and shook her/his head.  
  
Akane embraced him/her.  
  
"I won't ever leave you again. I love you." She whispered into his ear. Then she leaned down and  
  
kissed her/him on the lips.  
  
Ranma wrapped his/her arms around her and pulled her into him/her. She deepened the kiss. Not  
  
even realizing that Ranma was female.  
  
Ranma pulled away and whispered into Akane's lips,  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Ranma then let Akane go and got up and went over to the fire that he had started before he had  
  
woken Akane up. He had water boiling for tea, but poured a cup over himself. Wincing at the very  
  
hot water.  
  
Akane saw his wince.  
  
"Why did you do that, you could have waited for it to cool down."  
  
Ranma didn't look at her, rather stayed with is back turned, and said  
  
"I needed a reality check." If she had been able to see his face, she would have seen a deep blush,  
  
that wasn't from the hot water.  
  
Akane got up, and went to stand by him and the fire.  
  
She caught the blush fading and almost kissed him again, just to see if she could make him blush  
  
again, but then decided that she was content by just holding onto him. She had to be in contact  
  
with him though. Now that she had all of her memories back, she felt very vulnerable. She felt like  
  
something was going to hop out of the bushes and separate them. She couldn't bear to loose him  
  
again. She would never be alone again. He would always be there by her side. He interrupted her  
  
thoughts.  
  
"Are we going back to the tribe?" He asked wrapping an arm around her waist.  
  
She nodded her head, whish was resting on his shoulder.  
  
"We have to. I still have to talk with Shan. They did help me, despite the kinds of conclusions that  
  
you have drawn from what you have seen. There is much that is unseen, and that will remain  
  
unseen, but you have my word that they saved me, and did what they thought best, it was best."  
  
She said as she turned her head and rested her chin on his shoulder. Looking into his eyes,  
  
reading him as he took in what she said.  
  
"I believe you. I never really thought they had harmed you, rather I thought that they took you from  
  
me the second that I saw you here. I mean, I don't know."  
  
She nodded, understanding what he was trying to express.  
  
"Why the long hair? I mean you almost had me with the long hair. You really look different."  
  
She looked back to the fire.  
  
"It's an Amazon thing. Although it reminds me of what I use to look like when you first came."  
  
Ranma chuckled. He ran a hand through it and she leaned on him more. She wrapped both of her  
  
arms around him, and let him support all of her weight. He pulled her onto his lap, and they  
  
kissed. It was different than before. This time they poured all of their lost love into the one kiss,  
  
everything that had been lost, or held for all of the long time that they had to wait to once again find  
  
each other. They melted in each others arms, and finally were one with one another, never to be  
  
separated again as long as they were alive.  
End Chapter 17  
  
Author notes: I was so tempted to just put The END but I know that I left a lot unfinished, so I will continue, although now the main problem is solved. By the reviews I was starting to think that you all were losing faith that I would keep the two together. You never had anything to worry about though. Well till next time. Oh how limey this could have gotten. He he he he he. Ranko 


	18. I Can't Tell

Chapter 18  
  
Author Notes: You all have stuck with me this far, and you all make me so happy! I know in the beginning I thought that no one would ever read past chapter one, and that all I would get was flamed about what a horrible sin I had committed by ever thinking of such a preposterous idea, but I see that you all have finally gotten over it. And that makes me that happiest person in the world. I love you all!  
  
It was dark before they had realized it. They had spent all day in the cave. But time seemed endless when they were in each others arms. They were sure that everything had happened in slow motion, but in reality the time had gone by quickly. The whole day was an experience for both of them. Passion was in the air, and it had been so long, since they had felt such a thing that it consumed them. Yet despite the love that both had for each other, it was a difficult jump to take.  
  
Akane was shy in nature to begin with when it came to things like love. She had been childish about the whole thing for as long as she could remember. This time was no different, and on top of the shyness, she had an underlying fear. She wasn't afraid of Ranma. She was afraid of sex. Although she didn't plan on sharing what had happened to her with her faience she was constantly thinking about it herself as they became closer and closer to that point.  
  
She loved Ranma, and wanted him to be happy, although she wasn't sure if the experience would make her all that happy. In fact she almost cracked and pushed him away many times, but he seemed to sense her uneasiness, and was very slow, and gentle with her. It was as if he could read her mind. She hoped that he hadn't noticed anything funny about the way that she had acted before she regained control of herself.  
  
But in the end, her love conquered her fear. And after she had put it behind her, she really did return the love that Ranma was giving to her. She felt a burden leave her shoulders, as her fear disappeared, while she was wrapped in Ranma's arms.  
They were both in the same sleeping bag. Akane was wearing Ranma's shirt, and he was wearing his pants. She was snuggled against his chest, on the verge of sleep, but her eyes were still slightly open. Ranma was leaning against the wall the sleeping bad was up against, his hands behind his head, and his eyes staring off into space.  
  
Ranma took a deep breath.  
  
Akane turned so that she could look up to see his face.  
  
"Akane, (he paused) you were scared the first time."  
  
Her eyes locked onto his, just for a second, and then she turned away, and tried to roll over off the sleeping bag, but he caught her and pulled her back.  
  
He pulled her into a kiss. Then after a few seconds, he backed away, and looked into her eyes, and asked, "Why?"  
  
She shook her head, and burrowed her face into his neck, a few tears escaped her eyes. The fear had gone, but she still had a fear of what had happened to her.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a tight embrace.  
  
"Akane, I don't want to upset you, I just wanted to know why. Was it something I did?" She shook her head in his chest, and then looked at him again, this time with puffy eyes.  
  
"It was noting you did." She said very softly. She kissed him then, pulling herself into his lap, and wrapping her arms around his neck. When she backed away he tried to speak again,  
  
"Then . . ." she stopped him with a kiss.  
  
He tried to pull away, but her arms were locked around his neck, and even though he could have pushed her off of him, he didn't want to struggle.  
  
During the kiss he took a hold of her arms, and pried them from around his neck to move them to around his waist. Then when he finally ended the kiss, he put his palm on her lips and positioned her with his other free arm on his lap as a child would sit. He sat cross-legged and she sat in his lap sideways, with her head resting against his shoulder, and his arm wrapped around her back, and one across his stomach.  
  
"Are you ready to tell me now?"  
  
She took a deep breath. He had won, there was no way to get out of this one. So what was she going to tell him? Should she tell him the truth?  
  
"Ranma, I really . . . I don't . . . I can't."  
  
He pulled her into a tighter embrace against him, and rubbed her back.  
  
"What can't you tell me? What is there that we can't tell each other?" He asked.  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Ranma, can you explain what happened to you when your father threw you into that pit of hungry cats to learn the Cat Fist?" It was the only example she could think of that he would understand.  
  
He thought about it.  
  
"Not really."  
  
She continued, "Can you explain why you are afraid of cats?"  
  
He shivered.  
  
"No, the only way to explain that fear would be to tell you what happened in the pit, and why that scared me, but I can't really explain it."  
  
"There, so I am telling you that I can't tell you why I was scared. It was not your fault, I can assure you that though."  
  
Ranma rested his chin on the top of her head. Her hands were on his chest, they were very warm, and a little sweaty. This whole thing was making her fell nervous. What had happened to Akane that would do this to her? Someone hurt her. I can feel the fear, I could feel it pulsing from her when I got too close, or did something too fast. How could he get her to at least tell him what had happened to cause such a fear?  
  
"So, something did happen to you?"  
  
She got a little stiff.  
  
"You are hiding something." He said almost mockingly.  
  
She didn't want to tell him. What would he think? What would he do?  
  
"Ranma, if I tell you, you're liable to kill someone." She said rather bitterly.  
  
His grip got a little stiffer.  
  
"Damn right I'd kill them if they hurt you that badly."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I will never forgive them for what they did, but I could wish harm upon them. And I don't want you to get in trouble for killing people. It is in the past, and I want it to stay in the past. You helped me cure my fear. I have you now, I love you, and it will never happen again. Ranma, I well never leave you again."  
  
He inhaled deeply, his mouth opened like he was going to say something, but then he decided against it, because no words were uttered.  
  
"Ranma, I'm cold." She was crying again, and shivering. He pulled out a blanket from his bag that was next to them, and wrapped it around them.  
  
"Akane, you said that I help you cure your fear. Well, it's obviously a burden, and I know you don't want to tell me because you are afraid of what I will do to whoever did whatever it is. But I promise I won't do anything to anyone, no matter what the crime, or who committed it. I just want to comfort you, help you deal with it."  
  
She was already crying, but this brought on more. She took a deep breath, and with a shaken resolve started to speak.  
  
". . . *sniffle* . . . I ran after I saw Shan . . . I tripped, or was tripped, and then someone hit me on the head . . . When I came to, I wished I hadn't, because, then, I was raped . . . I finally lost consciousness . . . but then when I regained it again . . . it happened again . . . both times I wasn't strong enough to get away, both times!" Akane was crying steadily into Ranma's chest at this point. His arms were locked tightly around her, and growing tighter with every word she uttered. She tried to continue, but she knew she had said enough, so she just cried.  
  
He started to kiss her forehead, and rock like he would have done to calm a crying child.  
  
After a long while Akane put had her tears in check, and then she felt awkward.  
  
"Ranma, do you still love me?" She asked him, her voice barely a whisper  
  
He could have knocked her in the side of the head, for asking such a stupid question.  
  
"What are you talking about? Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" He chastised her.  
  
Akane just stared into his eyes blankly, like she was so ashamed of herself.  
  
"Akane, I'm so sorry. If I had known, we could have waited until . . ."  
  
She shook her head as he spoke.  
  
"No. I wanted this. I had to know, I mean, I can't really explain it, but I had to do this. I'm glad. I love you so much. I am sorry that I ran away, I am soo very sorry. If I had thought clearer, I might have just come to you, and told you that night, and none of this ever would have happened."  
  
"That is true, but it has all worked out, a very close call, but we are here, together. We are going home afer you say your goodby's tomorrow, and then we will start life anew." She smiled up at him. She turned and kissed him, this time, they fell back into the sleeping bag, and didn't stop.  
Morning came, and Akane woke up to an empty sleeping bag. She was quite cold, seeing that she was only wearing Ranma's shirt, but the fire was crackling, and she could feel the heat a little from where she was lying. She saw Ranma at the entrance of the cave, he was just leaning against the wall, looking outside.  
  
She got up and searched through Ranma's bag and found a pair of his pants.  
  
She was glad that he wore those kinds of cloths, seeing that it fit male and female. She pulled a shirt out of his bag, and just put it to her face and inhaled. The scent made her memories clearer. It was hard to explain, but everything was still a little fuzzy. But she knew this smell. Odd thing to be smelling his shirt, but there was just something about his smell, that identified with her head. She would never hate this smell. She put the shirt back, and walked over to the fire, and sat down.  
  
Ranma had turned to look at her, and had come to sit by the fire with her.  
  
"So, we are going today."  
  
She smiled at him.  
  
"Well we already wasted a day." She giggled. A day she mumbled under her breath, as she poked the fire with a stick to distract her mind from the very bad thoughts that were popping up.  
  
"Well, it's all packed up except the sleeping bag."  
  
She nodded, and got up, and rolled it up, and tied, it. He put out the fire, and picked up the bag, and they walked out of the care, hand in hand.  
End Chapter 18 


	19. Going back to the Tribe

Chapter 19  
They set off, Akane having no recollection of where they were, or what  
  
direction to head in. She was holding onto Ranma's hand, her grip was  
  
tight. She was very hypersensitive to every sound, smell, and sight that  
  
she came upon.  
  
It was making Ranma worried.  
  
"You should try and calm down. There is nothing to worry about."  
  
She smiled weakly at him, and went from just holding his hand to locking  
  
their arms together.  
  
He felt her relax a little.  
  
"Do you know where we are going?" She asked after a few minutes.  
  
"I can tell where the tribe is. Since we are so close, I can tell where Mouse is."   
  
He said, not really thinking.  
  
She was a little confused. He could do what?  
  
"You can do what?" Akane asked questioningly.  
  
He almost laughed. That was right. Neither of them had told each other  
  
about what had happened during their separation.  
  
"Well I trained as I looked for you and I learned a technique that allows me  
  
to locate anyone anywhere. Well, that is accept here, a place where you  
  
can't find anything, a place that no one said was excluded from the world.  
  
So I learned it to hopefully find you no matter where you might be, and  
  
well, I couldn't find you so I lost hope. That was when Mouse brought me  
  
here. And here you are. But the technique, I can tell where he is because  
  
he is very close. It is less than ten miles."  
  
She was a little surprised. Ten miles was a small distance. That would  
  
take them an hour and a half to walk, and that was if they didn't stop.  
  
"Ranma, that is a long span. You can tell where someone is that for away?"  
  
He smiled at her.  
  
"Further than that. If you had been anywhere else, anywhere in the world, I  
  
would have been able to find you."  
  
She would have gawked, but this was Ranma. Since when had, he ever let  
  
anything stand in his way. Nothing would be a road block to him, he could  
  
find a way around anything, and use any means.  
  
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She mocked.  
  
He chuckled, and pulled her a little closer.  
  
"I would have done anything to find you."  
  
She smiled up at him.  
  
"I know." She leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
"So what did your trip consist of?"  
  
She shivered.  
  
"Well I don't really know just how I ended up here, but I guess, I remember  
  
a few ponds, and blood, lots of blood. I think that I tried to kill myself.   
  
Then I remember waking up, and not remembering anything. I remember my  
  
mother, Lali Su, and I remember a ceremony, and Shan. Then the tribe, my  
  
hair being cut off, and then grown back like it is now for the fight that  
  
you interrupted, a fight, which mind you, I was going to win."  
  
Ranma laughed then.  
  
"So did you train here?"  
  
"That was all I did. Shan taught me, and Kon Lohn. You taught me too."  
  
"How did I teach you?"  
  
Akane stopped.  
  
"You were in my head. So many pictures that I didn't know, and you were  
  
almost all of them. You guided me through all of my training, and because  
  
of you I was able to learn everything very fast. I would watch you in my  
  
head, and then, from that I taught myself all of the moves. I learned the  
  
chestnut fist in a day. When I came to, my martial arts were still with me.   
  
I had to relearn a lot of my balance, and Mias Su became a very skilled  
  
fighter. She had all of me, and a whole new palate to start off with, a  
  
baby that was born into an adult body, and mind. I think everyone should  
  
get that chance. I do say that it has changed me forever."  
  
"That's very interesting. My trip was not as interesting as yours. I traveled,  
  
and asked anyone had seen a woman. I eventually ran into this man that  
  
taught me the technique I told you about. During my training with the man,  
  
out of the blue, Mouse shows up. I scared the living daylights out of him  
  
the day that he came. The old man told me to, for my training, I had to get  
  
close and scare him, without him seeing or hearing me. It was an easy task.  
  
He was following us, and well, it was really funny." He ended with a dry  
  
chuckle.  
  
"I am not sure why Muts Su showed up though. Do you know why?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"During my time here, I have not learned much about the law, but from what I  
  
have learned, I am sure that me being cleansed meant that Akane, had passed  
  
on, and Mias was a totally different person to the tribe. I am sure that  
  
Muts Su was not allowed to talk to you about tribal business, so he couldn't  
  
have told you anything about me, or my former self, so I am guessing that he  
  
just went to find you and hope that you would follow him here."  
  
Ranma nodded at her.  
  
"You know Muts Su is really a good person, he always has been. I was his  
  
sister Ranma; He was doing what he knew I needed. We owe him a lot. What's wrong Ranma?"  
  
"Akane I don't have any respect for their laws, he should have just told  
  
me!"  
  
Akane could feel his anger. The Amazon law thing had always been a rough  
  
spot for Ranma. Shan had been attached to him through it, tried to kill him  
  
because of it, tried to marry him, tried to break them apart. She could  
  
understand that he thought the law had kept them separated for more time  
  
that they should have been. But to her, the law also had saved them. The  
  
law had accepted her into the tribe, had saved her, and had cleansed her,  
  
and reviled her. What other people would have gone to such lengths for a  
  
stranger as they did. They were a twisted people, but she loved them still.  
  
"Ranma, I understand, but realize that it was also the law that saved me.  
  
They saved me."  
  
He looked into her eyes, which were not angry as his, but rather they were  
  
like a calm ocean, deep brown and bold. She smiled, a smile that didn't  
  
touch her eyes, they just looked into his, sadly, resourcefully. She had to  
  
hold to both herself, and Mais Su. She had two separate minds telling her  
  
what to do. Mias Su lived on through Akane, as Akane had through Mias Su.   
  
The ideals that Mias Su had come to know and love was shared with the ones  
  
that Akane had had. Now there were to standards to go by, Mia and Akane's.  
  
"Ranma, just try and understand that I have a love for them now. I love Shan  
  
as a sister, and Muts Su's mother as a mother, and Kohn Lon as a  
  
grandmother. They are my people now too. Yet I am still Akane, I love you,  
  
and I am going to follow you back to my home, in Japan, where I am supposed  
  
to be. But I will never forget them, and what I have learned here."  
  
"I know."  
  
"So you will forgive them?"  
  
"When did I say that I wouldn't?" He asked.  
  
She hugged him and they walked on.  
  
It was late morning, when they arrived in the village.  
  
Akane had, had to stop a few times, to gain her composure before facing  
  
everyone as herself.  
  
As they walked into the village, she decided that she needed to talk to Shan  
  
first. She was so nervous that she was clinging onto Ranma for dear life.   
  
She felt like she was inside a pit and he was her rope out.  
  
Ever since she had come back, she had been thinking about what she was going  
  
to tell him. She had told him about the rape, something she had previously  
  
meant to keep to herself, so would she be able to keep secret what Shan,  
  
Lali, Muts, and Kohn Lon knew? She couldn't predict what will happen. Take  
  
one gun shot at a time, that was what you normally do. But what happens  
  
when they are all fired at once?  
  
She could see Shan's house, but she also saw that her mother was there too.  
  
She pulled herself even tighter to Ranma's side. He didn't act as if it  
  
bothered him, rather, he moved his arm from at his side, where she was  
  
grabbing it, to around her back, and she just leaned against him, her arms  
  
wrapped around herself.  
  
Shan ran out to them, and stopped just in front of them.  
  
She looked at Ranma first. She looked directly into his eyes, her eyes  
  
strong and without fear, blank, questioning. His eyes were blank as well.  
  
Then after seeing this and that he was not angry, she looked at her friend.  
  
Akane saw Shan's eyes, and it calmed her. She couldn't explain why, they  
  
just did. She let go of Ranma, and embraced Shan.  
  
In Shan's arms, she wept. Shan didn't let go of her. Akane held on to her  
  
tightly.  
  
Akane started mumbling under her breath.  
  
"Thank You. I cannot repay any of you."  
  
Then she was silent and allowed a few more tears to fall, as she moved her  
  
head on Shan's shoulder, so she could see her mother with Aka in her arms  
  
standing at Shan's door.  
  
Seeing them, she stopped crying. And let go of Shan. She stood and took  
  
Shan's hands into her own.  
  
"Shan, Ranma and I are leaving, and going back to Japan."  
  
Shan nodded.  
  
"Akane, it is you now." Shan asked timidly.  
  
"Yes. It is I."  
  
"Akane, I know you are probably anxious to leave, but I have a request."  
  
Akane almost was surprised.  
  
Ranma dropped in, in a rather edgy voice,  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Shan smiled. Then she laughed.  
  
Ranma and Akane both looked at her queerly.  
  
"I knew he still didn't trust me." She was laughing while she said it.  
  
"Akane, you won, well rather Mias Su won, but none the less, you won, and we  
  
were holding off the party till you returned, and well here you are, so  
  
before you go, I would like you to stay for the celebration that is to be  
  
held in your honor."  
  
Akane looked at her blankly.  
  
"You're kidding right?"  
  
Shan smiled again.  
  
"No. I am serious. Akane, stay for the ceremony for me, pleas?" Shan  
  
begged, squeezing Akane's hands and giving her puppy eyes.  
  
"Well, I don't know what to say, I would be honored."  
  
Shan could have leaped for joy, but she contained herself, and was contented  
  
into embracing her friend.  
  
Akane wrapped her arms around her tightly as well.  
  
And while they stayed like that for a second Akane whispered into Shan's ear  
  
"Shan, take care of her."  
  
Then for a split second when they ended their embrace, they locked eyes, and  
  
they both understood each other.  
  
Shan smiled. And Akane grabbed the very shocked Ranma by the hand, and she  
  
led him off to the center of town where they were to hold the celebration.  
-After Much Eating Drinking, And I don't know, whatever you think they might  
  
do during a celebration-  
  
Akane and Ranma were sitting side by side at a long banquet table, Shan was  
  
sitting on the other side of Akane, and Mouse was sitting next to Shan.   
  
They had all eaten, and Shan had concocted a plan to make the end of the  
  
evening 'fun'.  
  
She stood up.  
  
"This is not Amazon Custom, but I toast to Mias Su, and I also propose that we  
  
have a duel now. Anyone that thinks that they can defeat her?" She asked.   
  
She turned and glared at Mouse.  
  
Akane was glaring at her, with a start that would stop a lion dead in its  
  
tracks.  
  
Mouse walked over and sat next to Ranma, on the other side of him. He  
  
smiled at Ranma, who was looking at him suspiciously.  
  
Mouse then stomped on Ranma's foot under the table.  
  
Ranma stood up and yelled OUCH.  
  
Shan was at his side in a second.  
  
"So you want to challenge her? Ok." She pushed him over to a platform, and  
  
Mouse was there to hoist him up.  
  
Shan spoke again, avoiding Akane's glare.  
  
"This is Ranma Saotome, he wished to challenge Mias Su to a duel. He is an  
  
outsider. Mias will you accept?"  
  
Akane didn't know what her friend was doing, but one thing that she did  
  
know, was that an Amazon Woman NEVER said no to a challenge."  
  
"I accept." She said. Her words' Ice.  
  
A ring was quickly made.  
  
Ranma was dragged into it, and Akane walked into it on her own.  
  
They had said all of this in Chinese of course, so Ranma had no idea what  
  
was going on. He asked Akane what all of this was.  
  
"They challenged us together. You have to fight me."  
  
He scowled.  
  
"You know I won't fight you."  
  
She frowned.  
  
"I know you won't fight with girls, but I am not a girl anymore, I think you  
  
will find that I am quite the feisty cat."  
  
He snickered.  
  
"Yes you are, I already knew that. But not in the battle ring. But that is  
  
beside the point. You know I don't fight girls."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Ranma I have to fight, so do what you will do, fight me if you will, or  
  
don't if you can't either way."  
  
She charged at him.  
  
She threw kicks and punches, and she even pulled a chest nut fist move, and  
  
a few other moves that Shan had taught her. She wasn't really trying that  
  
hard though, she knew that Ranma wouldn't fight with her. But if one of  
  
them didn't get knocked out, then the fight would go on forever.  
  
So she charged for him again, and when he sprang, she grabbed onto him. She  
  
did it in a way that he had to do something, or he would crash into the  
  
ground. While he took his time to figure out what to do, she started  
  
throwing punches at the place he was currently at, as he blocked, dodged,  
  
and moved to evade hitting the ground, she moved so that she was directly in  
  
his path the second that he wouldn't be able to stop himself.  
  
He crashed into her, knocking the wind out of her and putting her on the  
  
ground.  
  
His blood went cold for the split second that she stayed on the ground, but  
  
then she got up. She stood up, and looked at him silencing him before he  
  
said a word.  
  
She walked up to him, and stood on her toes, and kissed his cheek.  
  
It felt odd. Deja Vu.  
  
"Oh Shit." He said very sarcastically.  
  
"Wo I ne arien." Akane said in the most shampoo-ish voice that she could  
  
muster up at that particular moment.  
  
Shan broke into hysterical laughter.  
  
Mouse also broke out into laughter.  
  
"Now that was just the best thing that has happened in two years." Mouse  
  
said.  
  
Ranma took Akane into his arms.  
  
"So that means that I have to marry you now?" He asked her smiling.  
  
"I am afraid those are the rules." She smiled back, and kissed him on the  
  
cheek.  
  
Shan yelled some Chinese, and the gather of people cleared out, and Akane  
  
and Ranma were led out of the square, and into a hut.  
  
Shan and Mouse both appeared, and they all sat together at a table.  
  
"You two are married in the tribe's eyes. A tent will be set up for the  
  
two of you tonight." Shan smiled at them.  
  
"Ranma, so what happened with you and Akane?" Mouse seemed serious.  
  
Ranma looked to Akane for approval.  
  
"Well she didn't talk to me at first. I thought that you all had bewitched  
  
her or something. Then it was well past midnight, she started to talk to  
  
me. I told her all about her past, and about Shan, you, me. She insisted  
  
that she didn't remember. So I told her to sleep on it, and that if she  
  
didn't remember anything the next morning, that I would let her return.   
  
Well she woke up, and still didn't remember, so she turned around and  
  
started to leave, but I realized that I had to have one thing, before, well  
  
before I went off to end my life. I asked her for a goodbye kiss. Well we  
  
kissed, and she regained all of her memories."  
  
Shan sighed.  
  
"That is such a sweet story. One that your grandchildren will love." Shan  
  
said.  
  
Akane poured herself a glass of tea from the fresh pot one of the older  
  
women had brought in while Ranma was telling his story.  
  
"So Shan, I see that something has happened between you and my brother."  
  
Sham blushed.  
  
"I beat her." Mouse blushed.  
  
Ranma wanted to get up just to pat him on the back.  
  
"I let him." Shan spoke up.  
  
"You most certainly did not!" He shot back.  
  
Akane broke out into laughter.  
  
"I think that I believe Muts Su. After all, she was the one that told me  
  
that she was in love with you." She continued to laugh.  
  
They all laughed.  
  
Then when they were all silent, Ranma cleared his throat, and turned to  
  
Akane, and put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.  
  
She then turned the both of them the face Mouse and Shan.  
  
"You know, it all worked out for the best. After all of the chaos, the calm  
  
has come."  
  
Everyone nodded. And then Shan and Mouse got up, hand in hand, and waked  
  
out.  
  
A servant came in and escorted Ranma and Akane to the place where they could  
  
retire.  
  
As they got undressed, and slipped into the bed.  
  
Ranma pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead.  
  
"I still haven't gotten you a ring, and we are already married. The second  
  
we get home, I am going to get you one, and we can have another ceremony too if  
  
you want."  
  
She smiled up at him.  
  
"I don't think that we need one. I love you, and I know you love me, and  
  
that is all that matters, not a ring, not a wedding, nothing, no  
  
recognition, just us, me and you." She wrapped her arms around his neck,  
  
and pulled herself into his chest, and kissed him. He embraced her, and  
  
returned the kiss.  
  
"Just us." He repeated.  
At Shans House, inside Shans Room  
  
"You do really love me don't you Shan?"  
  
She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"You beat me Muts Su, what more do you want?"  
  
He frowned.  
  
"I want your love. I thought that you let me bear you because you loved me."  
  
She looked into his eyes.  
  
"Oh Muts Su!" She whimpered. Her voice quivered but she didn't allow tears  
  
to fall.  
  
"I have too much pride. I have always loved you! I thought that you knew. I  
  
am such a foolish girl. I have loved you so much, but my pride as a warrior  
  
had not allowed me to loose to you. Then yesterday, you just walked in,  
  
challenged me, and beat me. I was so ashamed, but I kissed you, the kiss of  
  
marriage. I am just still a little hurt, that you actually beat me. How?"  
  
He smiled at her.  
  
"Ranma trained me."  
  
He pulled her into a hug, and for the first time, she kissed him.  
  
"I love you Shan."  
  
"And I you." 


	20. Epilogue

Chapter 20  
Dear diary,  
  
Today is November 20. I haven't written in you for a long time. I am so  
  
sorry. I have been gone. I was lost to the world you might say. But Ranma  
  
came and rescued me as he always does. He brought me back too. We just  
  
got back about a week ago. My father and sisters almost died when they saw  
  
me. They had almost not recognized me with the long hair that I had. I had  
  
it cut a day or two ago, it just felt so heavy. It is back to normal now.   
  
Everything is going back to normal. I was so surprised to find out that  
  
Nabiki doesn't even live here anymore. She married the most unlikely person  
  
that I could ever dream her marrying. She married Kuno. I asked her  
  
privately if she knew about what had happened. She told me she knew. Turns  
  
out he did time in prison, his sister was still in prison, but he was let  
  
out on parol. I still don't see why she married him, but love is love, and  
  
Nabiki has always had a strange sense of love. Ranma bought me that ring.   
  
I don't know where he got the money. But it is very beautiful. It is a  
  
gold band, and it had a forever symbol on it, two circles running into each  
  
other, never ending. Kasumi is gone as well. She married the doctor, and is  
  
expecting her first child any day now. I am so proud of her. I had Nabiki  
  
check around and see what happened to Ryoga and Ukyou while we were gone.   
  
Ukyou and Ryoga seemed to have hooked up, Ukyou found Ryoga while she was  
  
searching for Ranma, and well, seems Ryoga is lost, as always, and Ukyou is  
  
still running her restaurant. Genma made up with Nodoka, and he told her  
  
about Ranma's curse. She came over just yesterday, and the first thing she  
  
did was cry into her son's chest and Ranma cried too. It was all very  
  
touching. I have decided that I am going to keep in touch with Shan. She  
  
gave me an address that I can reach her at. I didn't tell Ranma about Aka,  
  
and still haven't told him about the Kuno's. I don't intend to. I don't  
  
want to spoil our happiness. It is best kept in the secrecy that you and I  
  
have. Nabiki also told me something that I was very relieved to hear, it  
  
doesn't solve all of my problems, but it at least explains why she actually  
  
married Kuno. Turns out that Grandfather Happousai lost a bottle of love  
  
potions on one of his panty raids, and she found it in Kuno's bathroom.   
  
Don't ask how she got it? I don't want to know. But I guess they were  
  
both under the influence of it. It makes me feel at least a little better  
  
about my brother-in-law. But I still don't plan on telling Ranma.  
  
Well I will write to you regularly now that I am back.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Akane Saotome  
  
Dear Shan,  
  
I had hoped to write sooner than this, I know it has been a long time, what  
  
six months? Well so much has happened. First of all, I'm an aunt. Kasumi and Dr. Tofu  
  
had their first child, he is almost six months now, and a handful already.   
  
They named him Shin. He's adorable. How is my sister? Is she a year  
  
old yet? How are you and my brother? Ranma opened up the dojo, and we are  
  
teaching classes. Well soon, it will be only him, because I am expecting. I  
  
haven't told him yet, but I think he already knows somehow. He is already  
  
not letting me spar, and do a lot of manual chores, but I haven't told him.   
  
He can read minds I swear. I won't be expecting for another five or six  
  
months though. Maybe you two could come here and see us when the big event  
  
happens. I am sure that Ranma would love to see Muts Su, and I would love  
  
to see you. I miss you. It's so lonely here sometimes. I only have Ranma  
  
to really talk to, and there are just some things that you can't talk about  
  
with your husband, even if he is a girl at that moment. I miss you  
  
dearly, and eagerly await your reply.  
  
Love,  
  
Akane Saotome  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
It is strange what pregnancy does to you. Ever since it happened I have had  
  
this feeling about me that I can't really explain in words. I don't  
  
remember it from when I was carrying Aka, but I don't remember a lot of  
  
things about that time. This experience often makes me think about what  
  
happened. It makes me think about Aka, she was a life that I brought into  
  
this world, and I am not taking care of her now. I feel ashamed, but at the  
  
same time I knew it was for the best that I left her. Her conception was a  
  
gross commodity. She belongs with someone that can give her the life of  
  
love, that I am not sure that I could provide her with. I could have loved  
  
her had I not had the memories, but I have them, and they still plague me  
  
sometimes. Deep in the night, I live it all again, and then I am awake,  
  
sweating, and Ranma is there, holding me, comforting me. With my belly  
  
bulging now, he lays there at night, when he thinks I am asleep, and he  
  
moves closer to me, and puts his head to my stomach, and just listens. Then  
  
he will lay back down and just rest his hand there, and feel as the life  
  
that we made declares that it is, alive and well, with a kick. It is this  
  
new life that leaves me so exhausted now, that even during the day, I find  
  
myself nodding off into a day dream of sorts, that always seem to make me  
  
think of the past. It isn't always bad. Sometimes, the events are from long  
  
ago, like when Ranma and I first met. The old name calling days, it was when chaos  
  
was our best friend. Time really does fly.  
  
Just a month till our child will be born, Ranma is getting unbearable. He  
  
barely will let me get out of bed. His mother has come to stay for the rest  
  
of the time till delivery. She cleans and cooks. He sometimes will let me  
  
help, but most of the time, I just roam around and watch everyone. Ranma  
  
does let me do simple katas in the evening, as long as I am under his  
  
supervision. Life is good. And just like we promised each other, there has  
  
never been a moment that he had let me alone. We are inseparable. It is as  
  
if we are one-person. And even though I sometimes want to fear, I know that  
  
I have no reason to, because I have him here with me to protect me.  
  
Sincerely  
  
Akane  
The End  
  
Author Notes  
  
If there is anything that you want clarified, that I haven't then just either  
  
write it in a review, or email me about it. I hope that you all enjoyed the  
  
story, and I appreciate all of you that stuck with me through the trials of  
  
this thing. I know that it was a bumpy ride. At least it was for me. I  
  
remember when I first posted it, and really got flamed for the first  
  
chapter. Then I put the Prologue in, which I never intending on having.   
  
But I worked it out, and came up with a reason for my bad guys. I was so  
  
tempted to end the story right then, but I felt that the ending to this story is so beautiful that it wouldn't do it justice to just end it.  
Questions? Comments? Concerns? .. DEBATES?  
  
please review, or email me at Rankochan1@hotmail.com 


	21. UPDATE!

Chapters 1-3 updated! And the story won't say that it is updating. SO I am adding an update chapter that I will remove later!


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